Understanding generations: political economy and culture in an ageing society

Abstract

Sociological understanding of generations can be enhanced by avoiding defining them rigidly as chronological cohorts but rather linking people's accounts of their generational experience with an historically informed political economy. It then becomes possible, for example, to understand the complexity of generational politics. This paper uses data on the 'War Generation' taken from the Exeter Politics of Old Age project to link an empirically based political economy of generational inequality with a cultural sociology of generations. The 'War Generation' recognizes itself and is referred to by others in terms of a common identity. It is also an historical generation; its values, attitudes and, above all, sense of national solidarity and mutual obligation were forged in the direct experience of war. But it is also divided by divergent economic interests in property and pension rights based on the historical experience of the life course by successive groups and this segmentation can be observed in political action. The political culture of the War Generation manifests both continuity and change. Understanding these dynamics requires listening to people constructing their worlds, understanding their full range of historical experiences, and analysing the conditions for their conflicts and their cohesion.

A review of the empirical generations at work research: implications for school leaders and future research

“…Generations evolve as cohort members age and move through different phases of their lives (Corsten 1999;Vincent 2005). Vincent (2005, 584) reinforces this notion by highlighting the fact that the value individuals in a specific generational cohort place on a common experience evolves over time and that its 'symbolic significance is constantly revised as the generation ages.…”

A review of aging and disability policies for economic and social factors that create inequality

“…Some would identify the choices they had encountered in developing financial opportunities, whereas others deny they had a choice of life experience (59). The 'War generation' recognizes itself and therefore has a common identity, with values, attitudes, and sense of national solidarity and mutual obligation arising from those experiences.…”

Older adults’ lifelong embodied experiences of leisure time aquatic physical activity in the United Kingdom

“…For instance, a number of gerontologists have questioned the idea that old age is an isolated phase of life that is dominated by decline (Evans & Sleap, 2012;Phoenix & Grant, 2009;Phoenix & Sparkes, 2006;Tulle, 2007Tulle, , 2008Vertinsky, 1991). Instead, older age can be viewed as distinct from, but interdependent with all other life stages (Phillipson & Baars, 2007;Vincent, 2005). Moreover, the recognition that narratives of old age are interdependent with the whole life course has given weight to the application of research techniques that take a historical perspective (Markula, Grant, & Denison, 2001;Phoenix, Faulkner, & Sparkes, 2005;Phoenix & Grant, 2009;Phoenix, Smith, & Sparkes, 2010;Phoenix & Sparkes, 2006.…”

“…It is important to recognise analytically that older adults have not always been 'old' and to suggest otherwise is to relegate their past experience to an irrelevance. Instead, conceptualisation is needed of the historical nature of older adults' experiences of ageing (Vincent, 2005). For instance, a number of gerontologists have questioned the idea that old age is an isolated phase of life that is dominated by decline (Evans & Sleap, 2012;Phoenix & Grant, 2009;Phoenix & Sparkes, 2006;Tulle, 2007Tulle, , 2008Vertinsky, 1991).…”