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Generation X Who are we Why are we called "Generation X" Where did we come from Where are we going What’’s going on here Where’’s the Beef This passage offers some (but only some) of the answers, and points you to other internet sources that can help you find the rest of the answers. Here’’s a brief "FAQ" (Frequently Asked Questions) on Generation X: How did we get this name, "Generation X" anyway Blame Douglas Coupland of British Columbia, Canada, for one. It was also the name of a British Punk group in the 1970s featuring 1980s soloist Billy Idol. In a 1995 interview, Coupland denied any connection, saying: "The book’’s title came not from Billy Idol’’s band, as many supposed, but from the final chapter of a funny sociological book on American class structure titled Class, by Paul Fussell. In his final chapter, Fussell named an "X" category of people who wanted to hop off the merry-go-round of status, money, and social climbing that so often frames modern existence." — Whatever you say, Doug. When Coupland wrote his book in 1991, the phrase was picked up by marketers desperately seeking a name for the "generation without a name". Of course there’’s been much discussion about "slackers" (懒惰的人) comes to mind. Other popular terms are "Thirteeners" or "13th Generation", which came from a book by Neil Howe and William Strauss called "Generations", in which we are listed as the 13th generation of the USA since 1620. Who exactly is Gen-X This question is in hot dispute. In the mid-1980’’s the Gen-Xer’’s had been labeled "Baby Busters" (生育低谷期出生的人), due to the low birthrates of the 1965-1975 age bracket. Demographers (人口统计学家) noticed as early as 1966 that the "boom" (婴儿潮) was over, and began planning and budgeting downward for this massive change from the "boom" in birth between 1946-1964. (These "Boomer" dates, by the way, have never been in doubt nor have they been doubted or tampered with by the media.) Today, however, many people lump (将......看作一体) those born in the years 1961-1981 together. Why 1961 Despite being Doug Coupland’’s birthyear, it more likely began with the Howe & Strauss book "Generations", which used those years. The 1961-1981 years are also being accepted and popularized by media like TIME magazine, which has used those years in a Gen-X cover story. The years 1965-1979, 1964-1982, 1960-1970, 1966-1977, and 1970-1983 have also been used in articles on Gen-X, but these all seem very arbitrary, and as you can tell, are all over the map, demographically (人口统计学上). So, What is a "Generation", anyway A generation, loosely defined, is a group of people who can be, 1) demographically identified by biological trends and 2) have shared experiences. These are the basis for my belief that the 1965-1975 timeframe works best, since the 1961-1981 years do not reflect birthrates as well as the 1965-1975 dates do, and it’’s really a mistake to try to see 40 year olds as having the same shared experiences as 20 year olds who barely remember who Ronald Reagan was! (HOWEVER: It’’s been argued that Boomers born from 1946-1958 see themselves as separate from later boomers. That’’s certainly legitimate, but both groups fall in the same BIOLOGICAL generation. The 1961-1981 dates are purely cultural, and are not biologically correct, and I contend that they should not be used — but see the "comments" section of this site for some spirited discussion on this issue.) Here are some general characteristics for Xers: Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships. Although there doesn’’t seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don’’t like to be characterized. They don’’t want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn’’t this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need Challenging Work. This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks. They don’’t want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you’’re looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you don’’t want an Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twenty somethings during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today don’’t want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder! Freedom to Manage Time and Work. Xers don’’t want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they’’re doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own. Do we have a Generational Identity Just like most Boomers weren’’t pot-smoking hippies, most Gen-Xers aren’’t "slackers". Most are decent, pragmatic, creative, strongly independent, self-reliant, and hard-working. We have a surprisingly good work ethic — including a strong sense of company loyalty, as long as it’’s reciprocal, and we want to get ahead, even though we aren’’t as concerned with the trappings of "success" as earlier generations were. However, we’’re very concerned with financial and emotional security. We’’re hopeful that the future will be good to us, but we’’re also shockingly realistic and honest about the struggles we’’re going to face in a rapidly changing world of diminishing resources, an elderly society, and a culture dominated by, and designed for, "Baby Boomers". Then what’’s the 1976-1981 crowd called "Generation Y" comes to mind. Also known as the "Baby Boomlet", because birthrates went up again in those years, what the media often mis-names "Gen-X" are the "grunge" kids that would be as alien to a high school campus in 1985 as we would have been in at high school in the 1970s. As a side note, it’’s ironic how this "Boomlet" group is being molded into little clones of the Boomers as they were in their youth, as if they were re-living their youth vicariously THROUGH them, which is, of course, exactly what’’s happening. The bell-bottoms, drug use, and even the revival of "folk" music — though most don’’t recognize it as such — looks and sounds shockingly similar, and it’’s not an accident. (Their young minds are being shaped to mimic Boomer’’s political and social values, too, but that’’s another story for another time.) How many of us are there Not many. There are about 47 million of us. Census Bureau (人口调查局) figures show that we will finally outnumber the Boomers, in 2040, by 39.6 to their 37.1 million. Of course, by then the Boomlet/Y-Generation will amount to 73.4 million, so we will be always an "in-between" group. So get used to it!. Will us American Gen-Xers ever see social security benefits Seriously No. It’’s not likely, since the Baby Boom generation is about to plow through the system, which will require HUGE subsidies (补助金) to manage. Add to that the new "goodies" like prescription drug benefits, and it’’s not bloody likely anything will be left. (Not that there isn’’t a cost-effective way of doing all this, by the way. But not with bloated (浮肿的) government programs) Politicians, thanks to the AARP lobby, can’’t be bothered to restrict benefits to non-millionaire seniors or make other common-sense steps to set aside funds for the day when they’’re needed. Others have tried to sound the alarm, but they have failed, up to now. It is generally accepted and popularized that "Generation X" refers to people born between 1961 and 1981.