Jean Twenge has written a very interesting book studying today's youngest generation to have come of age. In these postings, I will begin to provide key quotes and references that have stood out to me. From that, I have posted a few questions for reflection. For more information on this book, I encourage you to explore her website: generationme.org Also see my article: Me, MySpace and iPod: Tales of a Culture Stuck in the Mirror Phase of Development and Its Moral Implications
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1:
YOU DON'T NEED THEIR APPROVAL: The Decline of Social Rules
NOTABLE QUOTES
"Getting dressed in the morning is a fundamentally different experience today than it was forty years ago. For all of Generation Me's lifetime, clothes have been a medium of self-expression, an individual choice in a range of alternatives and comfort. Contrast this to past decades, when men wore ties most of the time and women did not leave the house without crisp white gloves and a tight girdle... The trend toward more informal dress has accelerated in the past ten years, with may companies opting for "business casual" and others going for just plain casual... This is a perfect illustration of generational trends in attitudes, as the entire point in dressing up is to make a good impression on others and elicit their approval. You don't dress formally for yourself or for your comfort; if you really wanted to do things "your way" and just for yourself, you'd wear jeans to work." (p.17-19)
This is the social trend - so strong it's really a revolution - that ties all of the generational changes together in a neat, tight bundle: so what makes you happy, and don't worry about what other people think. It is enormously different from the cultural ethos of previous decades, and it is a philosophy that GenMe takes entirely for granted." (p.20)
"Not caring what others think may also explain the decline in manners and politeness. Because we no longer believe that there is one right way of doing things, most of us were never taught the rules of etiquette... most etiquette was developed to provide something often lacking in modern society: respect for other people's comfort." (p.26)
"Boomers laid claim to the phrase "question authority" during the 1960s. But GenMe doesn't just question authority - we disrespect it entirely... This is the eventual outcome of increased informality and the loosening of social rules, and many people would rightly argue that questioning things is good. Sometimes "traditions" are outmoded and need challenging. But sometimes GenMe takes the questioning of authority a little too far." (p.28)
"The message: We are all equals here. I might have a Ph.D. and years of experience, but that doesn't mean I know any more than you. That is, of course, a lot of the reason for the crumbling of authority and the new acceptance of questioning those in charge. This new democracy in education and the workplace has been energized by the new informality in dress and names. While the boss was once "Mr. Smith" or "Mrs. Jones," now bosses are instead "Mike" or "Linda." "Mr." and "Mrs." sound too stiff and formal - and old fashioned. When we're all on a first-name basis, the specter of authority takes yet another step back into the shadows of a previous era. " (p.29)
"Classrooms are increasingly structured for teachers to be "facilitators" rather than authority figures. Lecturing is frowned upon; "collaborative learning" is in. Class presentations and group projects are common. Sometimes the teacher hardly says anything." (p.29)
"GenMe is also less willing to follow the rules of organized religion... Many young people abandon organized religion because of, you guessed it, the restrictive rules it often imposes... Many of the churches that have grown in membership in the past few decades are the fundamentalist Christian denominations that do require more strict adherence. However, these churches promote a very personalized form of religion." (p.34f.)
"Rick Warren, author of the popular Christian book The Purpose-Driven Life, writes, "Accept yourelf. Don't chase after other people's approval... God accepts us unconditionally, and in His view we are all precious and priceless." These denominations teach that one's personal faith guarantees acceptance into heaven, not the good works you perform and the way you treat others (which traditionally degined a proper spiritual outlook and its rewards). Even if you are a murderer, you will be saved if you accept Jesus as your personal savior. Of course, most adherents strive to live good lives, but personal beliefs are considered important." (p.35)
"We think that confession is good for the soul, and this no longer means whispering to a priest in a dark booth. It means telling everything about your experiences and feelings, no matter how distasteful..." (p.36)
"The openness extends to all kinds of communications at work and at home. Some older business managers complain that young people today are too blunt. These managers say that young employees ask for instant feedback that's straightforward and uncomplicated, and give it in return. Some managers are surprised at young people's willingness to critique the performance of older people - it's a combination of the eroding respect for authority and the compulsive honesty of the younger generation... Young people see their directness as an asset... Previous generations were unconcerned about seeing someone else's "core self," but for GenMe "not being yourself" equates to being somehow unwhole and false." (p.39)
"These days, saying anything you want often includes words you might not want to say in front of your grandmother. Whether you're for or against this trend, it's clear that swearing is just not the shocker it used to be. The relaxation of the rules against swearing mirrors the same social trend as all of the others here - we swear because we don't care as much about what other people think." (p.40)
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. This chapter presents a convincing thesis: that we are in the midst of a revolution of what are considered acceptable social rules which define this generation as being radically different to the cultural ethos of previous decades (p.20). The new rule: do things your way - self-interest supercedes the expectations of those around you - or "I don't care what anyone else thinks, I'm doing things my way." Does this mindset foster or pervert the quest for authentic community?
2. One of the first illustrations Twenge uses is the deformalizing of dress in social settings (p.17-19). What is to be gained and lost when conformity to fashion codes has been replaced with personal taste? In particular, what are the implications for institutions and organizations which insist upon uniformity in dress?
3. The idea of "making a good impression" and "eliciting the approval of others" are values that are largely rejected in GenMe. Twenge suggests that "most etiquette was developed to provide something often lacking in modern society: respect for other people's comfort" (p.26). What is the importance of having "rules of etiquette" in our society?
4. Educational institutions have largely moved pedagogical strategies that are instructivist to constructivist approaches. Twenge says that "Classrooms are increasingly structured for teachers to be "facilitators" rather than authority figures. Lecturing is frowned upon; "collaborative learning" is in. Class presentations and group projects are common. Sometimes the teacher hardly says anything" (p.29). Do we do our students a disservice if we apply a radically constructivist approach to classroom study?
5. This generation has been fueled by the idea of tailor-making one's own form of spirituality. Twenge refers to this as "a very personalized form of religion" (p.35). Evangelicals are modeled as fueling this hyper-individualism with our emphasis upon personal salvation. Twenge sees a disconnect between the personalized spirituality in evangelical churches and "good works you perform and the way you treat others" (p.35). Is there truth to this? Are there any correctives that could be employed in church practice that would theologically remain true to personal religion while teaching that faith without works is dead?
6. In an instant feedback culture (p.39), critique and easily slip into criticism and open communication into the most destructive forms of gossip. For sometime, organizational consultant have talked about "flattening authority structures." With this has come what Twenge calls "the eroding respect for authority and the compulsive honesty of the younger generation" (p.39). In what ways can respect and submission to authority be fostered in work environments? How can we encourage younger generations to tap into the wisdom of those who have more life experience than them?
SUPPLEMENTAL AIDS FOR THIS CHAPTER
General Social Survey 2000
Report - American Generations: Who they are. How they live. What they think.
The Asch Effect - A partial and non-evaluative history of the Asch Effect
William Hedges and Marian Martinello
Article - What the Schools Might Do: Some Alternatives for the Here and Now
Ron Zemke, Claire Raines and Bob Filipczak
Book - Generations at Work
Sonja Steptoe
Time Magazine - Minding their Manners
Claire Raines
Book - Beyond Generation X: A Practical Guide for Managers
Josephson Institute
Report - Survey documents decades of moral deterioration: Kids today are more likely to cheat, steal and lie than kids 10 years ago
Peter Sacks
Book - Generation X Goes to College
Debra Pickett and Janet Rausa Fuller
Chicago Sun-Times article - Teens Shifting Balance of Power
CBS News
The Class of 2000
Robert Putnam
Book & Interactive Site - Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Chris Colin
Book - What Really Happened to the Class of 93: Start-ups, Drop-outs, and other Navigations Through an Untidy Decade
Jean Twenge
Abstract - Changes in the Need for Social Approval
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