In their book, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, William Straus and Neil Howe maintain that; “As a social category, a generation probably offers a safer basis for personality generalization than other such social categories as sex, race, region or age.”  Strauss and Howe theorized that all Americans alive at any time have belonged to one of four types of generations that have repeated sequentially throughout American history and continue to do so today and will into the foreseeable future. 

Based on their theory of the sequential nature of four types of generations and their study of history, Strauss and Howe named and defined the “peer personality” of each of those four generations at various stages of their life cycle.  Having done so, they forecast the peer personality-based characteristics and relationships that they expected the three generations in the American workforce would have today.

The Baby Boom Generation

The Boomers are an “Idealist” generation who would like to “endow” society with “principle” and “education”.  They were “indulged in their youth” and, thus, became “narcissistic” rising adults. Now they are “values laden perfectionists” who “cultivate principle as moralistic” mid-lifers.  As they become older, “Boomers will grow increasingly pompous, intolerant, uncompromising, snoopy and exacting of others.  At the same time, they will become more dutiful, principled and demanding of themselves.” But, they will be “visionary elders”. “Boomers…standing in the way of jobs, pay, promotion, will require [Gen Xers] to prove themselves in a hotly contested market place.”  Because of this and many other factors, “…the nation’s next great generational rivalry (since the so-called “generation gap” of the Vietnam era) is brewing, on the edge of bubbling over.”

Generation X

The Gen Xers are a “Reactive” generation who would like to endow society with “liberty” and “pragmatism”.  They were “criticized” in their youth and will suffer an “alienating event” in their 30s causing them to “mature into risk taking, alienated rising adults.” “This nasty event will convince them that theirs is indeed a luckless lifecycle.” in which “…economic events loom heavy…” and “…even self-earned private investments may prove hazardous….”  Thus: “Sometime around 2010 this generation will hit a hangover mood....” As workers, and being much smaller in numbers that either their senior Boomers and junior Gen Ys, the Gen Xs will find themselves “perceived and treated as the most expendable employees.  To keep their jobs, they will have to show not just promise, but bottom line results.”   Yet, they “…will make near-perfect 50-year olds.  On the one hand, they will be nobody’s fools.  If you really need something done, and you don’t especially mind how it’s done, these will be the guys to hire.  On the other hand, they will be nice to be around.” “They will mellow into pragmatic midlife leaders.”  “In the military [Gen Xers] will blossom into the kind of generals young [Gen Y] soldiers would follow off a cliff.” In the past, “Reactive Leaders have been cunning, hard to fool realists, taciturn warriors who prefer to meet problems and adversaries one-on-one.” All that is good because Strauss and Howe postulate that, just as it has happened to past generations of their type, when Gen Xs are in their 40s and 50s and are rising to leadership positions, there will occur the “Crisis of 2020” which they postulate could be a “major war” or “nuclear terrorism”.  “The climactic event may not arrive exactly in the year 2020, but it won’t arrive much sooner or later.”

Generation Y

The Gen Ys are a “Civic” generation who want to endow society with “community”, “technology” and “affluence”.  “They will become a generation of trends, from a less protected and still rambunctious first wave to a highly protected, purposeful and unusually smart last wave.”  This generation “…will respect Boomers as beacons for the ‘should-dos’ of life, they will rely on the [Gen Xers] as avuncular guides to the ‘want-to-dos’.” [Gen Xers] will see these kids as extremely smart but naïve—a bit too optimistic for their own good and in need of a lesson or two about real life.”  “Gen Ys (especially the first wave) will encounter economic and social hardship.  Unlike [Gen Xers], however, they will emerge undaunted—thanks to their patience, confidence and powerful instinct for community.”  The crisis will see this generation “…unite into a heroic and achieving cadre of rising adults…” They “…will show more teamlike spirit and more likemindedness in action than most Americans …alive will ever recall seeing in young people.”  “[Gen Yers] will carry out whatever crisis mission they are assigned….” If crisis brings war, soldiers will obey orders without complaint.  If it involves environmental danger or natural resource depletion, young scientists will make historic breakthroughs.  If it is mostly economic, the youthful labor force will be a mighty engine of renewed American prosperity.  Whatever their elder-bestowed mission, these rising youths will not disappoint.  Assuming the crisis turns out well, [Gen Y] will be forever honored as a generation of civic achievers.”

Sources:

-Names of the generations based on current common usage.

-All quotes from William Straus and Neil Howe Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069.