T4T Programs

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• Proposes that in the USA there are 4 generational types/turnings & these are cyclical in nature

  • Video overview - The History of America's Future

  • More on Generational Theory

• N.B. there is limited consensus "about whether generational differences exist that are worth taking into consideration" (Reeves & Oh, 2008, p. 296) for educational, vocational or career contexts.

• Levine & Cureton (1998) suggest we can generalize because, "Every college generation is a product of its age. The momentous occurrences of its era - from wars & economic shifts to the elections & inventions of its times - give meaning to the lives of the individuals who live through them. They also serve to knit those individuals together by creating a collective memory and a common historic or generational identity," (p.19).

• Hawkins & Oblinger (2006) suggest both technology skills & access to technology varies significantly across a generation & therefore broad assumptions should be questioned.

• Dilworth & Carter (2007) research with African-American students indicates, millennial descriptors reflect white student experiences.

  • Research by Levine & Cureton (1998) on the millennials & multiculturism, that "tension regarding diversity and difference runs high all across college life,’’ (p.75).

• "Notwithstanding the need for more research, if we gave equal attention to our own observations and to those of our colleagues, as well as to the thoughts and feelings of students themselves, we might come closer to understanding our successive generations of students," (Dungy, 2011, p.18)

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Overview of Strauss & Howe's Generational Theory

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Key Terminology:

• Generations:

  • Last approximately 20 years - one phase (of 4) of life

  • Include people born during the same historical events

    • Have similar beliefs & behaviors

• Millennials:

  • The generation of Americans born between 1982-2004

• Turnings:

  • 4 types which last approximately 20 years

  • One complete cycle lasts 80-90 years

  • Revolve around generational events

    • History shapes generations 

    • Generations shape history

  • Follow a repeating sequence: (Strauss & Howe, 1997, p.3)

    • High - an upbeat era of strengthening institutions and weakening individualism, when a new civic order implants and the old values regime decays

    • Awakening - a passionate era of spiritual upheaval, when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime

    • Unravelling - a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions, when the old civic order decays and the new values regime implants

    • Crisis - a decisive era of secular upheaval when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one

• Generational Archetypes:

  • Share basic attitudes towards family, risk, culture and values, & civic engagement

  • Therefore they develop similar :

    • Collective personas

    • Life trajectories

  • "As each generation ages, it shapes and is shaped by the cultural turnings. Each movement through a new stage forms a new mindset," (Strauss & Howe, 1997, p. 84)

    • Prophets have idealist mindsets. They are:

      • Spiritually driven, moralistic, focused on self, and willing to fight to the death for what they believe in

      • Grows up as increasingly indulged Post Crisis-High children, comes of age as the narcissistic young crusaders of an Awakening, cultivates principles as moralistic mid-lifers, and emerges as wise elders guiding the next Crisis

    • Nomads have reactive mindsets. They are:

      • Ratty, tough, unwanted, diverse, adventurous & extremely cynical

      • Grows up as under protected children during an Awakening, comes of age as the alienated young adults of a post-Awakening world, mellows into pragmatic midlife leaders during a Crisis and ages into tough post-Crisis elders

    • Heroes have civic mindsets. They are:

      • Conventional, über-powerful, homogeneous & devoted to serving the state, having a deep trust in authority & being the perfect soldiers for a major war

      • Grows up as increasingly protected post-Awakening children, comes of age as the heroic young team workers of a Crisis, demonstrates hubris as energetic mid-lifers, and emerges as powerful elders attacked by the next Awakening

    • Artists have adaptive mindsets. They are:

      • Subtle, nice, indecisive, emotional & inoffensive, often having to deal with feelings of repression & inner conflict

      • Grows up as overprotected children during a Crisis, comes of age as the sensitive young adults of a post-Crisis world, breaks free as indecisive midlife leaders during an Awakening, and ages into empathic post-Awakening elders

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