Social Time as the Basis of Generational Consciousness

Abstract

The article addresses the interdependence of personal and social time. Certain social events at certain age create specific forms of social identity which defines itself through these social developments. The focus of this article is theorizing how this identity -in other words, generational consciousness -can be triggered by social processes. In particular, specific interest will be on the age group born in Estonia in the 1970s, a cohort reaching maturity at the time broad social changes took place after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Generational consciousness forms when personal and social transitions coincide among those who are young at the time of social transitions. However, historical change does not necessarily articulate in a generational consciousness in all circumstances. Hence, analysing qualitative interview data against a backdrop of quantitative data, the article attempts to reveal the reflexive generational consciousness of this cohort and its core features. The paper also seeks to discover whether the subjective borders stated by the respondents to their social identity coincide with the (objective) social and demographic conditions of this cohort.

Remains of the Soviet Past in Estonia

“…In Estonia, the 1990s were a time of self-discovery and self-examination, in which not only the political regime's understanding of the past changed (Vihalemm, Lauristin and Tallo 1997), but also the negative past was juxtaposed with a positive vision identified with those born during chilDren oF the new east the final years of socialism and after the break-up of the USSR (Nugin 2015). These young people were later accused of 'lacking memory', not appreciating their 'given' freedom, ignoring patriotic feelings, or even betraying the nationhood for being critical with the status quo (Maruste 2014;Nugin 2010;Preiman 2017). But why are the older generations in Estonia making such a complaint?…”

Remains of the Soviet Past in Estonia

“…These young people were later accused of 'lacking memory', not appreciating their 'given' freedom, ignoring patriotic feelings, or even betraying the nationhood for being critical with the status quo (Maruste 2014;Nugin 2010;Preiman 2017). But why are the older generations in Estonia making such a complaint?…”

Rememorando a Violeta el día de su fuga: Identificaciones y reafirmaciones

“…Por otro lado, hace unos noventa años, Karl Mannheim (1972), dirigió su atención al problema de la formación y función de las generaciones en los procesos de cambio socio histórico. Concluyó que una generación se forma no simplemente en base a compartir un mismo periodo temporal de vida y/o una misma relación etaria con respecto a sus antecesores y sucesores sanguíneos, sino que también debe nacer de una experiencia en común de algún acontecimiento histórico en la juventud, muchas veces traumática, que juega un papel significativo en la formación de su conciencia y del modo de interpretar el mundo y orientar las acciones individuales y colectivas durante el resto de sus vidas (véase Edmunds y Turner, 2002;Nugin 2010;Olick y Robbins, 1998Schuman y Scott, 1989.…”