Are you a Boomer? Gen X? Gen Y? Do you know which generational cohort you belong to? And does it even matter?
An article by Bobby Duffy in the Guardian, ‘The big idea: why the generation gap isn’t as wide as you think’, explores the notion that the generations are fundamentally different. He contends that people of different age groups aren’t really that different, but that they exist in different contexts and have to face different issues and challenges.
To read the full Guardian article, click here.
The generational cohorts are widely held to be as follows:
| Generation | Years |
| Silent | 1925-1945 |
| Baby Boomer | 1946-1964 |
| X | 1965-1980 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 |
| Z | 1997-2012 |
| Alpha | 2013-2025 |
For another take on researching the generations, based on data from the last 70 years, check out the AMSR’s second book: ‘How We’ve Changed: Social Trends from Post-War to Present Day and Beyond’. It contains a chapter (pages 58-65) exploring the generational cohorts written by the brilliant Rebecca Cole (MD of Cobalt Sky) and an alternative bias-based segmentation argument written a fabulous young researcher – Ellie Jacobs.
To read these chapters, you will need to purchase the book online by visiting the AMSR’s publications page – click here.
Contributed by Paul Gebara and Judith Staig
Date posted: 22nd February 2023