Generational Stereotypes

It is very ironic how we stereotype different generations. We all do it. Business schools teach it. We are taught that stereotyping people based on ethnic, racial or national origins are broad generalizations. Also stereotyping based on gender or sexual orientation is a generalization. Yet still we do it regularly based on age and generations.

For instance the generation from World War II which is commonly referred to as the 'greatest generation' is often characterized by hard work ethics and company loyalty. The very term great generation is a large generalization that other generations can never live up to. No one would ever diminish the accomplishments of the American sailor and solders during WWII, or of the women that answered the call of the work force. But what if today's generation does something greater like World Peace and cures cancer? Would that generation now be called "the greater than greatest generation?" Do companies and business schools in other countries (Germany and Japan for instance) call that generation 'the greatest generation?'

Next are the Baby Boomers. When we study what defines their generation the same thing is always talked about: Woodstock, Hippies, Political Unrest, etc. Not everyone from that generation went to Woodstock and not everyone was a Hippie. I bet if you spoke to Baby Boomers from Middle America in the 1960's about Hippies and Woodstock you would not get a favorable review - if they even know about Woodstock.

The same can be said of my generation which is commonly referred to Generation X. I have no idea what the 'X' means. When asked what defines my generation the same thing is said; computers, video games and MTV. Well I did watch some MTV and defined by bad fashion styles in the 1980s but that is about it. I never had a computer as a kid, nor did I have any video games.

My favorite is when we try to define the generations after Generation X; there is the Wii generation, the Next Generation, Generation Y, etc. Basically it's not clearly defined but all of the older generations define them as the same way - lazy and whiners. Well if this was true, than all of the previous generations would have had the same traits when they were characterized by their previous generations. Abraham Lincoln was called lazy by his father because he read books and didn't work on the farm. President Truman was constantly ridiculed by his mother in law for being lazy. What I'm saying is give the younger generations a break; it's their job to challenge everything the older generations are. It's also the older generation's job to teach the younger generations.

What I'm trying to say is while there may be key events that help to define an entire generation, characterizing someone in this generation is dangerous. Everyone is different based on our personnel experiences, not out generation's experiences.