what generation are you? (POLL - VOTE)

[LCHIEN]

What's your generation?

[leehljp]

As a sub-aspect of this is the cultural/lifestyle or specific family upbringing has on the generational categories. Example, we took our kids, age 12, 8, & 2 (at the time) to Japan with us in early '86. That completely took them out of Euro-America cultural context and actually moved their "generational" characteristics back one generation. Our then 12 year old, now 51, acts and thinks more like a baby boomer; the then 8 year old is in-between baby boomer and Gen X, while the then 2 year old (born in 83) is more Gen X than Millennial.

An interesting conversation and research took place when our oldest daughter was working on one of her Master's Degrees - her professor made the statement that everyone has one primary cultural affiliation, regardless of ethnicity. My daughter said that was not correct. Professor said he got his PHD on that issue. Daughter called me and asked I had some books on the issue. I did have one and had links to others on the subject of "Third Culture Kids" - children raised in a cross between 2 or 3 cultures - with none dominate but all equal. Her professor was totally surprised by that and listened to her input.

How close a family keeps their kids as a part of "family" - determines how much or how well the parent's values are passed on to the children, and that determines or prevents to some degree how much current cultural norms affect the child in the generation that they are born. The other half of the equation is specific personalities of the kids, but each personality style can be affected?effected? by teaching style.

[LCHIEN]

Yes, I was thinking as I worked on this that this generation thing esp. going back a ways (first three) is a distinctly American deal... But maybe not so much now with Gen Alpha kids growing up on the internationally connected internet. Its dependent on how isolated their country's culture was at the time.

[cwsmith]

I'm in the 'silent generation', born in July 1944. I wonder why we are labeled "silent" as certainly most all of my classmates and even my older cousins were quite verbal, especially when speaking out against the Vietnam War, Segregation, and for Civil Rights as well as promoted all that Rock n Roll noise and 'hot-rods' .

CWS

[LCHIEN]

I think it's because they let their actions speak for them?

[mpc]

Born right at the end of the "Baby Boomer" range. I'm not quite 60 yet!

So far, the survey results (9 votes) confirm that traditional hobby activities aren't as popular with today's youth. I see similar things in the car world... not as many folks interested in learning how to work on their own cars and maintain them to save money. Other than buying megawatt sound systems for them.

mpc

[LCHIEN]

There might be some bias in the results.
If you assume half the people here are here because of the BT3000/3100 clones, that were sold 20-30 years ago then that ages the population some - people with newer model saws will be steered to other sites. And the people that visit this website have more time. Dads/woodworkers with kids, families and rising careers don't have the leisure time to spend on this kind of hobby and esp. visiting this kind of website.

[dbhost]

I am clearly GenX. However I am a bit surprised that there aren't more of us Gen X folks here...

[leehljp]

As far as aging goes: I was born in '47; LOML was born in '49. When people look at us like we are old, I tell them "We sure ought to be! We were both born in the first half of the last century!"

That does sound old!

[twistsol]

I'm one of the last boomers born at the tail end of 1964. My 3 daughters are all millennials and my oldest once told me that people expect so little of millennials that putting out any effort at all makes you look like a superstar.

[LCHIEN]

added to my chart, some of the shaping influences.