Generationism

This book considers the development of generation metrics in the Social Sciences. Generations after the First World War are named and considered. Definitions are used to signal trends in income, family and voting across age boundaries. A convention of approximately 20 years for each of the most recent seven 'generations' has been adopted by the majority of Demographers. The rationales for this are reconsidered. The development of 'generational thought' is considered along with the development of criticism of it. A brief approach to statistical method and 'interpretation' is also offered. As Canadian Demographer Norman Ryder stated: "grand generational theories tended toward 'arithmetical mysticism."