Demographics of The United States - Cohorts in The United States

Cohorts in The United States

A study by William Strauss and Neil Howe, in their books Generations and Fourth Turning, looked at generational similarities and differences going back to the 15th century and concluded that over 80 year spans, generations proceed through 4 stages of about 20 years each. The first phase consists of times of relative crisis and the people born during this period were called "artists". The next phase was a "high" period and those born in this period were called "prophets". The next phase was an "awakening period" and people born in this period were called "nomads". The final stage was the "unraveling period" and people born in this period were called "heroes". The most recent "high period" occurred in the 1950s and 1960s (hence baby boomers are the most recent crop of "prophets").

The most definitive recent study of the US generational cohorts was done by Schuman and Scott (1989) in 1985 in which a broad sample of adults of all ages were asked, "What world events are especially important to you?" They found that 33 events were mentioned with great frequency. When the ages of the respondents were correlated with the expressed importance rankings, seven (some put 8 or 9) distinct cohorts became evident. Today the following descriptors are frequently used for these cohorts (currently mainly alive in 2000-10):

• Depression cohort, or GI (General Issue) (born from 1905/10 to 1919/21).
  • Distinction: Currently, they represent the largest number of Nonagenarians and Centenarians alive in any time of US history.
  • Memorable events: The Great Depression, high levels of unemployment, poverty, lack of creature comforts, financial uncertainty, peak of European immigration (though started from 1840 to ended by 1920), grew up during World War I, prohibitionism, radical politics, not too religious but mostly morally conservative, shorter life spans, and stressed Americanization or acculturation into a common mainstream U.S. culture.
  • Key characteristics: strive for financial security, risk averse, waste-not-want-not attitude, strive for comfort, social cooperative, can be reactionary or hostile towards change, but are idealistic or progressive in improvements of quality of life.
• Pre 'World War II cohort', or Greatest (born from 1920/22 to 1927/30).
  • Distinction: Established mainstream American culture in the mid-20th century.
  • Memorable events: men left to go to war and some did not return, the personal experience of the war, women working in factories, focus on defeating a common enemy, unity of peoples in a country, sacrifice (i.e. food rations and donated material), devoted to the war effort, and placed white ethnics or those of Irish, Italian, Jewish and Southern or Central European descent in prominence.
  • Key characteristics: the nobility of sacrifice for the common good, patriotism, socialism to a certain degree, team player, soldier, volunteerism, high work ethic, and some youthful experimentation in socially liberal practices but have generally been more socially conservative.
• World War II cohort, War Babies, or Silent (born from 1925/29 to 1942/45) - others subdivide them to Crash and New Deal cohorts.
  • Distinction: Second smallest generation born in US history, the birth rate peaked low due to the Depression.
  • Memorable events: sustained economic growth, social tranquility, The Cold War, McCarthyism, anti-communism, drug culture, conformity, the rise and peak of jazz music (1940s), early rock n' roll (1950s), fear of a nuclear war, and avoidance of discomfort with high emphasis on optimism.
  • Key characteristics: conformity, social conservatism, patriotism, comparatively chaste or emphasized traditional values (i.e. manners or taboos) than younger cohorts (who disagreed with them), traditional family values, but had the nuclear family replaced the multi-generational kind, known as the "Silent" majority/generation, and had the appearance of sameness or "cookie cutter" type of sameness.
• Baby Boomer (born from 1943/46 to 1953/57).
  • Distinction: One of two largest generations in size in US history.
  • Memorable events: assassinations of JFK, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Liberalism, political unrest, walk on the moon, Vietnam War, anti-war protests, social experimentation, sexual freedom, civil rights movement, environmental movement, women's movement, protests and riots, rise and peak of rock and roll, and experimentation with various intoxicating recreational substances.
  • Key characteristics: idealistic, experimental, progressive, individualism, free spirited, social cause oriented, activism, social change, "Live and let live", "Do your own thing", Pacifism, Spiritualism, alternative lifestyles, deeply against racism as well sexism and ethnic prejudice, and first generation thought to demand an eradication of poverty by government programs (War on Poverty).
• Boomer cohort #2 - "Generation Jones," born 1954/56-1965/69.
  • Distinction: The Peak years due to being children or teenagers when American power peaked in the global scene.
  • Memorable events: Watergate, Nixon resigns, the cold war, the oil embargo, raging inflation, Disco, gasoline shortages, the American hostage crisis of Iran (1979–81), the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in the 1970s, and cultural shift from McCarthyist conformity to hippie idealism to Yuppie fiscal conservative and/or social liberal phases.
  • Key characteristics: less optimistic, fatalistic, principled, general cynicism, somewhat reactionary, easily bored, impatient, an urgent desire that things must change, born again Christian movement, yuppie social trends, challenged gender roles and racial stereotypes, and used drugs illegal since the early 20th century thereby precipitating the modern War on Drugs in the 1970s and 1980s; yet often conservative & reactionary in later age.
• Generation X cohort (born from 1964/1967 to 1979/1985).
  • Distinction: Dubbed Baby Bust they are the smallest generation born in US history.
  • Memorable events: Challenger explosion, Iran-Contra, Reaganomics, AIDS, Star Wars, MTV, home computers, video games, safe sex, divorce, single-parent families, end of Cold War-fall of Berlin Wall, Gulf War, 1992 L.A. Riots, 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, the 1998 Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, and the arrival of the year 2000: new century (21st)/ new millennium (3rd).
  • Key characteristics: quest for emotional security; pragmatic; independent, informality; entrepreneurial; anti-political, paleoliberal or left-wing attitudes; fatalistic worldview; somewhat pessimist; many grew up in single-parent households and thought to be the first generation to live worse than their parents' cohorts.
• Generation Y Cohort Millennials (born from 1977/1985 to 2000/2005).
  • Distinction: Echo Boom they are second highest birth rate generation in US history.
  • Memorable events: rise of the Internet, iPods, social network services, war on crime (reduced crime rates), cultural diversity, September 11 attacks, the Death of Osama Bin Laden, Afghanistan War and Iraq War, and affected by the 2008-09 global financial crisis or "Great Recession".
  • Key characteristics: acceptance of change, technically savvy, environmental issues, globally minded, more socially liberal than previous generations, stricter laws on minors, high tech surveillance of public places, political correctness, no expectation of military service, and increased local volunteerism or community service.
• Generation Z Millennials, also called Homeland or Y2K babies are the generation who, at the earliest, were born after 1994/95 (more like since 2000 or even 2005) through at least the years 2010/11 and are currently children or teenagers, but they may share some of Generation Y characteristics. They may be more tolerant and accepting of social groups (e.g. gay rights, including marriage) than recent previous generations.