《文化对比阅读》(上) Unit 10--New Generations 3. Looking at the Generation Gap.docVIP

Looking at the Generation Gap Identifying Generational Differences and Their Causes By Susan Adcox Many grandparents grew up in an era of angry confrontations between the generations. As they ease into the role of family patriarchs and matriarchs, they may wonder: What happened to the generation gap? Is it gone or just on hiatus? Or it is still present but mostly underground? Definition of the Generation Gap A generation gap is commonly perceived to refer to differences between generations that cause conflict and complicate communication, creating a “gap.〞 Word maven William Safire provides this more positive definition: “Generation gap can be a frustrating lack of communication between young and old, or a useful stretch of time that separates cultures within a society, allowing them to develop their own character.〞 From their position in the family, and with more life experience than younger family members, grandparents are uniquely poised to see that differences between generations can be positive for all those concerned. History of the Generation Gap Although there have always been differences between the generations, the drastic differences that the term implies were not much in evidence until the twentieth century. Before that time, society was not very mobile. Young people typically lived near their extended families, worshiped in their childhood churches and often worked on the family farm or in a family business. With the advent of television and movies, young people were exposed to cultural influences alien to their own families and cultures. Performers like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and James Dean won adulation from the younger generation but were often met with derogation from the older generation. Then came the 1960s, and civil rights and the Vietnam War exposed a more serious chasm between young and old The Generation Gap Today The generation gap that was so in evidence during the 60s has resurfaced, but it is not the disruptive force that it was