The generation myth : why when you're born matters less than you think

'Subtle and compelling.' Observer 'One of the best books of 2021.' The Times Are we in the middle of a generational war? Are Millennials really entitled 'snowflakes'? Are Baby Boomers stealing their children's futures? Are Generation X the saddest generation? Will Generation Z fix the climate crisis? In this original and deeply researched book, Professor Bobby Duffy explores whether when we're born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion, politics and much else. Informed by unique analysis of hundreds of studies, Duffy reveals that many of our preconceptions are just that: tired stereotypes. Revealing and informative, Generations provides a bold new framework for understanding the most divisive issues raging today: from culture wars to climate change and mental health to housing. Including data from all over the globe, and with powerful implications for humanity's future, this big-thinking book will transform how you view the world. "One of the simplest and most powerful ways we understand people is as members of a generation. Your uncle is a bit racist because he's a baby boomer; your gen x boss is not a good team player; your cousin is constantly trying to go viral because he's gen z, and his generation is obsessed with fame. We also use generations as a tool for tracking how a society's values change over time (baby boomers liberated sex; millennials made it problematic), and how to appeal to the generations that hold them. What we assume when we talk about generations is that our values and habits are fixed by the time we turn 18, and that generational conflict is inevitable: a generation matures into adulthood and takes control of our artistic, commercial, and political tastes, which then become obsolete and are replaced by succeeding generations. It's a compelling story - after all, it is natural to think you have more in common with your peers than with your parents. But it is also wrong. Bobby Duffy has spent decades studying how social values and beliefs change. In The Generation Myth, he argues that generations do not have fixed or monolithic identities, nor is one unavoidably distinct from all the rest. Rather, generational identities are fluid, forming and reforming throughout life. Gen xers aren't just a product of the Reagan years - their values have been shaped equally by the Iraq War, two financial collapses, and the simple fact that they have gotten older A generation isn't an identity as much as a process. Duffy shows that differences between generations aren't nearly as sharp as we think. Political engagement, for example, has not declined in younger generations - younger people are always less politically active. Older generations have different expectations of their employers than younger generations simply because they entered different labor markets. Baby boomers had more sex in their youth than millennials, but millennials are actually happier with their sex lives. Young adults are no likelier to buy a product based on the company's ethics than their parents or grandparents. Through these insights, we find not only a truer picture of real generational differences, but a better way of understanding how societies change, and where ours may be headed. An analysis of breathtaking scale, based on data collected from over three million people, The Generation Myth is a vital rejoinder to alarmist books like iGen, The Coddling of the American Mind, and A Generation of Sociopaths. The kids are alright. Their parents are too"-- Provided by publisher "Are we in the middle of a generational war? Are Millennials really entitled 'snowflakes'? Are Baby Boomers stealing their children's futures? Are Generation X the saddest generation? Will Generation Z fix the climate crisis? In this original and deeply researched book, Professor Bobby Duffy explores whether when we're born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion, politics and much else. Informed by unique analysis of hundreds of studies, Duffy reveals that many of our preconceptions are just that: tired stereotypes. Revealing and informative, Generations provides a bold new framework for understanding the most divisive issues raging today: from culture wars to climate change and mental health to housing. Including data from all over the globe, and with powerful implications for humanity's future, this big-thinking book will transform how you view the world"--Publisher's description "Are we in the middle of a generational war? Are Millennials really entitled "snowflakes"? Are Baby Boomers stealing their children's futures? Are Generation X the saddest generation? Will Generation Z fix the climate crisis? In this original and deeply researched book, Professor Bobby Duffy explores whether when we're born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion, politics and much else. Informed by unique analysis of hundreds of studies, Duffy reveals that many of our preconceptions are just that: tired stereotypes. Revealing and informative, Generations provides a bold new framework for understanding the most divisive issues raging today: from culture wars to climate change and mental health to housing. Including data from all over the globe, and with powerful implications for humanity's future, this big-thinking book will transform how you view the world."--Rabat de la jaquette Are millennials entitled and lazy? Are baby boomers the most sexually liberal generation? Was generation X the last group to show loyalty to political parties? In this original and deeply researched book, polling expert and professor of public policy Bobby Duffy explores how when we're born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion, politics and much else. Informed by exclusive studies from IPSOS, as well as his own research, Duffy reveals that many of our preconceptions are just that: tired stereotypes. Revealing and informative, Generations provides a new framework for understanding the most divisive issues raging today: from gun control to climate change and Brexit to the surveillance state. Including data from over 40 countries and interviews across generational divides, this big thinking book will transform how you view the world. We use generations as a tool for tracking how a society's values change over time, and how to appeal to the generations that hold them. What we assume when we talk about generations is that our values and habits are fixed by the time we turn 18, and that generational conflict is inevitable. It is natural to think you have more in common with your peers than with your parents-- but it is also wrong. Duffy argues that generational identities are fluid, forming and reforming throughout life. Differences between generations aren't nearly as sharp as we think. The kids are alright. Their parents are too. -- adapted from publisher info A Compelling Exploration Of Generational Divides Informed By Exclusive Studies From Around The World.