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Generation "X" (born mid-1960s to late 1970s)This generation is also known by Americans as the Thirteenth Generation, since it is the 13th generation of the USA since 1620. Canadian author Douglas Coupland either (it depends upon who you ask) stole the name of Billy Idol’s old punk band or saw it in an obscure sociology text for his 1991 book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. This is a fictional book about three strangers who decide to distance themselves from society to get a better sense of who they are. He describes the characters as "under-employed, over-educated, intensely private and unpredictable." Coupland insists he took his book's title from another book Class, by Paul Fussell who used "X" to describe a group of people who want to pull away from class, status and money in society. Because the characters in Coupland's book fit that description, he decided on the title Generation X. What GenXers enjoy most is friendship, music, their sound systems, computers and television ... while school, work, youth groups, and religious group involvement rank very low. Those on the top of the scale represent areas of freedom, choice and independence, while those below are structured and normally run by Boomers.Another notable feature of Gen X is its high level of education. According to Ansoorian, author of “Managing Generational Differences,” approximately 60 percent of Gen X has some college education, making them the best-educated generation in U.S. history. As a result of this generation’s lack of faith in the employer/employee commitment, Gen X is convinced real job security lies in their ability to develop the knowledge and skills to advance to their next job. Gen X is more inclined to stay with a company that helps them expand their knowledge and skills; therefore, continued learning and development is significant to recruiting and retention of this generation.The phrase GenX was picked up by marketers desperately seeking a name for the "generation without a name." Of course, there's been much wrangling about this term, and many others have been offered, not all of them complimentary. In Europe, this generation is often known as Generation E, or simply as the Nineties Generation, along the lines of such other European generation names as "Generation of 1968" and "Generation of 1914". In France, the term Génération Bof is in use, with "bof" being a French word for "Whatever," the defining Gen-X saying. In Iran, they are called the Burnt Generation.Generation X is the most immigrant generation born in the twentieth century. 1 out of every 7 in this generation is an immigrant (U.S. 2005 Census).In a few years’ time, as Xers move through midlife to elderhood, they will be the pragmatic workers that get the job done, at the same time helping the aging Boomers to “get real” without losing themselves in apocalyptic visions. Generation X will be cunning and deft in business and elsewhere, quick to seize opportunities and adapt to changing environments. And they will be nice to be around.
The Silent or Veteran Generation | ||||||||||||||||||||
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