Generation

A generation is a group of people.

They are born around the same time. You can see this in a family.

A baby, a mother, and a grandmother are different generations.

Groups of people can also share big events. They might have the same ideas or problems. This happens when many people live through the same things.

Some people study how these groups change. They look at how young people think. It is a way to learn about the world.

A generation is a group of people born at about the same time.

You can see generations in a family. A baby, a mother, and a grandmother are different generations.

In some families, there are even five generations living together.

People also use the word for social groups. These are people who live through the same big events. They might share the same ideas or problems. For example, a big war or a health crisis can leave an imprint on a group. This means the event stays in their memory as they grow up.

Scientists began to study these groups in the 1800s. They noticed that young people often want change. They may even rebel against older people. A man named Karl Mannheim studied this a lot. He said a generation is not just about birth dates. It is about sharing the same experiences in the world. This helps a group feel like they belong together.

Caption: A timeline shows how generations move through life.

A generation is a group of people born around the same time.

You can see generations clearly within a single family. For example, a baby, a mother, and a grandmother represent different steps in a family line. In some cases, families can even have five generations living together.

In biology, the word also relates to how living things reproduce. In families, the length of a generation is the time between parents and children. In many developed nations, this length is often about 30 years. However, in less-developed nations, it often stays closer to 20 years.

Many things can change how long a generation lasts. Since the late 1700s, the time between generations has grown in some places. This happens because of things like urbanization and industrialization. People also move to cities and look for different kinds of jobs. Factors like a woman's education can also change these timings. Sometimes, people wait longer to have their first child. This can happen because jobs or relationships feel uncertain. These social changes shift how families grow over many years.

People also use the word to describe social generations. These are large groups of people who share the same cultural experiences. This idea became very popular during the 19th century. Before that, people mostly used the word for family trees. In 1863, a writer named Emile Littré defined it as all people living in society at once. During this time, the world was changing very fast. New ideas made people think that society could always progress. This led to a new focus on the power of youth.

Many thinkers have tried to study these social groups. Auguste Comte was one of the first to study them seriously. He thought change happened when different generations had different ideas. Later, a sociologist named Karl Mannheim wrote a famous essay in 1923. He said a generation is more than just a birth date. To Mannheim, a generation shares a "location" in history. This means they experience the same big events together.

This shared experience helps them feel like they belong to a group.

There are different ways to think about how generations form. One idea is called the pulse-rate hypothesis. It suggests that society moves in repeating cycles of different age groups. Another idea is the imprint hypothesis. This idea says that big events leave a mark on people. For example, wars or health crises can leave an imprint on young people. These events stay in their memories as they grow up. This helps explain why people of the same age often have similar attitudes.

A generation is a group of individuals born and living at approximately the same time. The term has several distinct meanings depending on the field of study. In kinship, it refers to the structural relationship between parents and children. In biology, it relates to biogenesis, which is the process of reproduction and procreation. In social sciences and demographics, it refers to a birth cohort. This is a delineated population that experiences significant events during a specific period.

In a family, a generation is a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor. The length of a familial generation is the average time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children. In developed nations, this length is often in the high 20s or reaches 30 years. Conversely, in less-developed nations, the length remains lower, often in the low 20s.

Many social factors influence how long a familial generation lasts. Since the late 18th century, generation length has increased in many parts of the world. This change is linked to greater industrialization and urbanization. Factors like automation and globalization also play a role. On an individual level, a woman's educational attainment can affect these timings. Additionally, people may delay their first pregnancy due to uncertainty in employment income or relationship stability.

Social generations are different from family lines. They are groups of people who share similar cultural experiences. While the idea of social generations exists in ancient literature, it became popular in the 19th century. Before this, the word mostly described family relationships. In 1863, the French lexicographer Emile Littré defined a generation as all people coexisting in society. This shift occurred as modernization and industrialization changed Europe. New ideas suggested that society could progress and change over time. This led to a focus on the renewing power of youth.

Several economic and social shifts helped create this new focus on age groups. Rapid economic change meant young men were often less beholden to the authority of their fathers. Greater social mobility allowed them to challenge traditional structures. Also, the skills of older generations became less valuable due to technological changes. For many white-collar workers, the period between childhood and adulthood increased due to university or military service. Furthermore, the rise of nationalism and public education helped people feel part of a larger society rather than just a local group.

Philosophers and sociologists have attempted to study these groups systematically. Auguste Comte suggested that social change is driven by conflict between successive generations. He believed older members have an instinct for social conservation. Meanwhile, younger members often focus on innovation. In 1923, Karl Mannheim wrote a seminal essay titled "The Problem of Generations." He argued that a generation is defined by more than just a birth date. He introduced the concept of "location," which includes historical, economic, and sociocultural factors.

Mannheim believed that a cohesive generation forms during periods of rapid social change. He identified three commonalities: a shared temporal location, a shared historical location, and a shared sociocultural location. He noted that people in different parts of the world, like China and Germany in 1800, did not share a generation because they did not participate in the same integrated experiences. This explains why modern terms like "Millennials" are often based on Western or American experiences.

Historian Hans Jaeger identifies two main theories regarding how generations form. The first is the pulse-rate hypothesis. This suggests that society moves in repeating cycles of non-overlapping cohorts. Each cohort develops a unique personality that shapes history. The second is the imprint hypothesis. This theory states that major historical events leave a lasting mark on a generation. Examples include the Vietnam War, the September 11 attacks, or the COVID-19 pandemic. These events affect people specifically when they are experiencing them at a young age.