The Generation Divide – Is it actually significant?

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Are Millennials really entitled 'snowflakes'? Are Baby Boomers stealing their children's futures? Do Gen Zs have no work ethic or attention span? Furthermore, does history follow a repeating cycle of generational types creating periods of crisis, recovery, and renewal? Let’s try to find out in this month’s meetup.

Book: The Generation Divide: Why We Can't Agree and Why We Should (2021) by Bobby Duffy (Note that the book is also sometimes listed under two other titles: Generations: Does When You’re Born Shape Who You Are? and The Generation Myth: Why When You're Born Matters Less Than You Think)

In our book this month, Bobby Duffy, a professor of public policy at King’s College London, wages war with generational stereotypes. He believes they are distracting us from real generational differences shaped by actual events and hampering our progress against serious challenges such as the housing crisis and climate change. He explores what the evidence shows on how when we're born shapes our attitudes to things like money, sex, religion, politics and much more. Informed by data from over 40 countries, as well as his own research, Duffy casts new light on the endlessly fascinating issue of what links the generations and how they differ.

In addition, this meetup will also touch on the Strauss–Howe generational theory which posits that history unfolds in cycles, with each generation playing a specific role in shaping and responding to societal events. This cycle repeats every four generations, culminating in a period of crisis and transformation, which the authors say we are going through now, coined the "Fourth Turning". Duffy and most academic scholars regard this theory with significant skepticism, but it’s still interesting and has a popular following.

While reading the book for this meetup is not compulsory, it is strongly encouraged to enable more focal points in our discussion. But Duffy has also done some presentations on the book and these are linked below. There is no set book on the Strauss-Howe theory, but there are also links below on it.

So join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6.30pm Monday, October 7th at the far-end of the 2nd floor at the Keg & Brew Hotel, Surrey Hills. The Keg & Brew is close to Central Station and the Light Rail.

Hope to see you there!

p.s. Millennials, please refrain from asking how this meetup contributes to your personal brand😊

p.p.s. PLEASE ADJUST YOUR RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to people if there is a waitlist.

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These are just some links to consider.

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