Obama the first Gen-X President

[Tyler Generation]

I'm sorry but I think it's quite a stretch to consider a man that didn't even hit his 30's till the 1990's a baby boomer.

If you look up when generations begin and end there is a lot of contradictory information, so it's kind of hard to gauge. I think we can agree WWII was long over by 1961.

With that said, I'd like to believe a generational barricade was broken too on the 4th and President Obama is our first Gen-X President.

[marmar]

1. He's not really a GenXer either.....He's kind of in that undefined zone between the two.

n/t

[JuniperLea]

59. They are calling it a 'Tween...

I'm a 'Tween too... Between... we were born in the Boomer date range, but we weren't old enough to fight the Vietnam war.

[maxsolomon]

66. the term is GENERATION JONES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Jones

Generation Jones is a term that describes people in certain English-speaking countries born between the years 1960 and 1975. American social commentator Jonathan Pontell identified this generation and coined the term to name it.<1> Generation Jones has been referred to as a heretofore lost generation between the Baby boomers and Generation X, since prior to the popularization of Pontell’s theory, its members were included with either the Boomers or Xers. The name connotes a large, anonymous generation, and derives from the slang term “jonesing”, referring to Pontell's claim that this generation feels "unrequited cravings and unfulfilled expectations."<2>

NOT Gen X.

[Xithras]

67. People get too focused on the years. GenX is defined by their PARENTS generation.

GenXers are essentially the children of the Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers were born between 1943 and 1964. The first boomers turned 18 and hit adulthood in 1961, which is why GenX typically starts in 1961. The Boomers were hitting child bearing age, and the new babies were increasingly the children of the boomers (naturally, there's a lot of overlap). X was cut off in 1981 because the first Xers were starting to contribute babies of their own, the first Gen Y kids.

So the answer to the Obama question is simple. Was his mother a Boomer? Ann Dunham was born on November 29, 1942 which technically makes her a member of the Silent Generation. The reality here is that she missed the traditional cutoff for the "Baby Boomer" mantle by 32 days. However, since her father was a young WWII vet who simply got started on his family a little faster than some of his peers, this is more of a minor technicality. According to the traditional generational rulers, Ann Dunham was simply one of the very first Boomers to be born.

That makes her son, Barack, an Xer.

[seabeyond]

2. if obama is gen X then i am. i was told i was boomer. dont wanna be boomer

i like gen X better. he is one month older. coolest

[Nedsdag]

50. Me too!

I was born in 1963 and I have nothing in coming with the average boomer.

[Krashkopf]

3. Sorry to break it to you . . .

But socialogists consider anyone born between the end of WWII and 1964 to be a "baby boomer."

Krash, 1959

[beezlebum]

5. depends on which sociologist you're asking...

there are a few who actually consider even 50's births to be gen x'ers.
but most define it between '61-81, some from 67-79, 65-80, and some other variations.

the widely accepted definition, however, appears to be 61-81- i accept this because it makes both obama and me (79 baby! yeah!) gen x'ers. cool.

[RobinA]

43. Well...

I'm 1958 and a Boomer all the way. Don't relate to no Xers. Obama's a Boomer, whether he admits it or not. On the cusp, to be sure, but he's a Boomer.

[WyLoochka]

6. Yep - long established criteria

So he's a tail end boomer, by definition.

But he doesn't display characteristics of a boomer, nor an Xer, for that matter.

Big part of why he's so compelling.

[JuniperLea]

60. Those of us born 1955 to 1964 are 'Tweens...

We were too young for most of the Boomer biz.

[izzybeans]

12. Very few sociologists would break down groups of people into vaguely defined

generations. Those that focus on demography will single out birth cohorts for analysis, but not in such large chunks of time. Talk of generations lies in the realm of pop-sociology and bull shit workplace consulting. Most of it is utter rubbish and misleading. "Baby boomers do this, Gen X'ers are lazy, Gen Y'ers are left brain fuzzy-wuzzies and also lazy, unlike me the Greatest Generation, yadda yadda yadda". They are kind of like funny little constructions that older people use to make sense of the changing world around them. And then when people don't conform to these neat little boxes, they make up new terms like "tail-end" or "early boomer" to cover their tracks.

That being said the term Baby Boomer does help define a historic spike in baby-making and they will have a few common memories of national and well-publicized events, but that's pretty much it-but here it would be more useful to talk about the more restrictive term "birth cohort", which is typically limited to blocks of time of a few years.

[Alcibiades]

32. You're right

The whole phenomenon of generational politics was invented by the baby boom generation. Having defined itself against its elders in this way, however, it's something that succeeding generations have had to do. It's become a part of our popular and political culture, for better or worse.

Although you're probably right that it's too fuzzy to rise to the level of a concept worthy of serious academic inquiry (you point out the problem that it's all together too easy to revise one's theory on a post hoc basis, making it a little unfalsifiable), I do think there is something to the idea that shared generational experience can make a difference in personality, especially in a mass society with mass media.

[izzybeans]

39. I agree

and that's a fundamental premise of sociology (that last sentence)-though personality might not be the term I would use, but it works with this context for sure.

[Tyler Generation]

17. I'm glad people paid attetion to when I said

There is no need arguing this because different sources say different things.:eyes:

[izzybeans]

18. Yep.

[BuelahWitch]

4. He is a member of "Generation Jones"

as am I

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Jones

No one ever heard of us before because we were overlooked, as Gen X became the media darlings after the Boomers flamed out. Now that we have a President who is a Joneser, perhaps we'll finally get some recognition...

[Raineyb]

7. Obama is not a Gen Xer

Gen Xer births start in 1965.

Regards

[Raineyb]

8. Dupe

[1corona4u]

9. Who fucking cares?

What's next, a generational war? :eyes:

[beezlebum]

10. you must be a gen y'er...

sheesh...kids!

;)

[1corona4u]

11. No, I'm boomer, but I am sick of the labels this country puts on people.

We're not products, we're fucking people. :eyes:

[beezlebum]

16. hehe

sometimes it does seem like people born into the same generation have similar ideals etc.

my peers are already starting- i never thought i'd hear a 20-something complain about the kids and their music and how they just don't get the skinny jean trend! but i've heard a lot of it lately...maybe it's just a "getting old" characteristic, and not a "generational gap" kind of thing...

you're right, it doesn't really matter, but just for shits and giggles...

[pink-o]

48. Listen, I'm a dyed in the wool boomer, and I remember my friends doing the same thing 30 yrs ago!

Honestly, some people are just born old! I had a friend in high school, early 70s who loved her parent's easy listening music, hung out with her mom's friends, married a guy 25 yrs older than her, and just was a general anachronism. Me, OTOH, present day: I happen to like Alt-rock and wouldn't be caught dead in "mom jeans"! So I obviously have the opposite problem.

But this is an historic presidency for me too! Boomer or Ex-er, Obama is still the first ever president younger than I am!

It had to happen eventually, I guess. Couldn't have picked a better time, better candidate!

[Tyler Generation]

13. If you don't fucking care, don't fucking post

I'm not just throwing out labels, it was something I was pondering and wanted to have a discussion. Take your negative bullshit else where if you don't like it.

[1corona4u]

14. I can state my opinion on it.

You don't own the board.

[Tyler Generation]

19. Then state it like an adult nt

[1corona4u]

26. There's a thing in this country called freedom of speech,

I'll state it the way I want, and the way I feel. You shouldn't expect people to suck up to you when you post on a message board. You'll just be upset when people don't agree with you.

Like I said, labels piss me off. They're part of the problem in this society.

[Tyler Generation]

33. I didn't order you to do a damn thing

See, I'm disagreeing with you which means... We are both exercising our freedom of speech! Funny how that works both ways.

Yes, your so right I posted to get my ego stroked and expected everyone to kiss up to me!

You argue like a fucking neocon, taking the pouty 5 yr old approach.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. No, you are just throwing out labels

It's just that most people are saying your labels are either irrelevant or wrong.

Apart from being a label, what do you think calling Obama a 'Gen-Xer' does? For you, us, or him?

[Tyler Generation]

34. No I'm not just throwing them out for the sake of throwing them out

I'm throwing it out because I'm interested in what others think about it. I don't care if I'm completely wrong, I just want a discussion. Why is this so hard to understand?

[muriel_volestrangler]

37. We are discussing it

We're saying:
Many people see an artificial division of people into 'generations' as meaningless, and potentially disruptive;
those that do see things in terms of generations generally hold than the 'baby boomers' are those born up to 1964;
you haven't yet given your reasons for wanting to apply one label rather than another to Obama;
you haven't yet given your reasons for saying that the baby boom generation lasted less than 15 years, while Generation X lasted 20, according to you.

Discuss.

[NC_Nurse]

15. I am born in 1961. It was a great year.

;-)

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. If you insist on dividing up a continuum into 'generations'

then at least recognise that a 'generation' has something to do with the amount of time between parents and children. Obama was born 16 years after the end of WW2, and everyone thinks the Baby Boomer generation started at the end of WW2. The absolute minimum for a generation in 20 years; really, it should be 25. The average age for a generation has always been at least that; these days, it's more like 30 years.

Obama is a Baby Boomer.

[Kind of Blue]

28. May be technically so, but sociologically and psychologically,

never felt as part of the boomers, and glad many take this into account and recognize the niche of the in betweens.

[muriel_volestrangler]

36. That's you, rather than a generalization about millions of people, though

Dividing people up into generations makes little more sense than astrology; occasionally, there might be some basis for it (eg 'was called up for WW2', which does put an age bracket on you), but there really hasn't been much like that for years.

[Kind of Blue]

41. Well, that's you.

What sense or nonsense it makes is for each of us to decide. Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. I'm not trying to change your mind, I just happen to agree with the premise of the OP.

[Kind of Blue]

21. Been one of my pet peeves for years!

Until I found out recently that I'm a Generation Jones and so is Obama. I don't know what we're jonesing for but I guess it's because we were babes during the happenings of the 60s and heavily influenced the popular X's.

[Tyler Generation]

25. I guess

I'm just sick of baby boomers taking credit for everything, lol.

Regardless of sociology, Obama still relates much more to the younger Gens than the pat themselves on the back crowd of the late 60's IMO.

[1corona4u]

31. And I'm sick of punk ass kids thinking they know everything.

:eyes:

[Jennicut]

22. Wikipedia says Gen Xrs are born from 1961 to 1981, Obama was born in 1961.

I am a Gen-xr. I was born in 1975 and am 32. Obama is 47. I feel he is more part of my generation then my parents' generation. My parents are 61. Obama is post Vietnam as well (thank God-time to get past that).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Boomer

Edit, I saw the Generation Jones post, he really is a bridge between my group and my parents. Seems to be correct.

[Virginia Dare]

24. That's a new definition, I thought 1964 was the official last boomer year...n/t

[potone]

65. It was the last official boomer year.

I think part of the problem with perceptions of the baby boomers is that the stereotypes refer to those who were of college age in 1968. For anyone younger, the Vietnam war did not define our experiences, nor did men our age serve in Vietnam. To me, this is the greatest difference between the two groups of boomers.

[Tyler Generation]

29. I'm 27

But have considered myself more Y than X, but if 1981 counts I guess I'm tail end X.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. Your reference say Baby Boomers are from 1946 to 1964

"Baby boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born during the Post-World War II baby boom between 1946 and 1964."

And it takes that from the US census:

"In 2006, the oldest of the baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, will turn 60 years old." http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/006105.html

[Raineyb]

35. The same wikipedia has Gen X starting in 1965

That Generation Jones bridge thing may have something to it.

Regards

[ieoeja]

62. I will go with Tweener.

I was born a year later in 1962. My sister was five years older than me; my brother, three. What I observed:

My sister's class was full of idealists and party animals.
My brother's class was full of party animals.
My class was lame.
About two years later the classes behind us started "meeting at the flagpole" to pray, joining SADD and other rightwing organizations.

Those last would have, of course, been graduating HS in the early portion of the Reagan administration. If geek became cool under Gore in the 90s, then I'd say nerd (no partying, short hair, nice clothes, etc) became cool under Reagan.

At college I actually got a better look at those following me. Obviously, they would have just been "kids" behind me in high school. The first couple years at college, I never saw a suit except for someone going to an interview. The third year a few incoming freshmen started wearing suits all the time. The last year it seemed like half the freshman class were suited.

I took this one low level course cause it had knowledge I'd end up using in the workforce (COBOL) as opposed to the more scientific classes I had been required to take. I was the only upper classman in the room. I'd walk into class in cutoffs and a T with my long hair swinging around me while everyone else in the class sported their three-piece suits and crewcuts. It was a really sad era to be in college. When people talk about how liberal college was and again is, I keep thinking I must have really missed out on something being a fucking tweener.


And don't get me started on the bozos in the College of Business. "The printer isn't working. My parents are paying good money for college! They should have someone on duty around the clock to solve these problems! I'm calling my lawyer."

ieoeja walks over to the printer and sees flashing LED numbers. Below this is a list of numbers followed by text. The text following the flashing number on the printer says "gate is open". A handle on the front says "gate". ieoeja pushes the handle. Printer starts. ieoeja is mobbed by Business School assholes wanting him for a tutor.

ieoeja runs like hell and never returns to Business building again to work on computers. He'd rather walk all the way across campus to the Computer building than deal with those idiots again.

[Virginia Dare]

27. Obama is one year older than me...

and I always thought of myself as one of the last baby boomers.

[Breeze54]

38. He's a tail end Baby Boomer. Get over it.

:eyes:

[Pithlet]

40. He's between the Xers and the Boomers. He's not Gen X.

I'm an Xer. I'd love to count him among my generation, but he isn't. I was in elementary school when he graduated from college. He's only a few years younger than my boomer parents.

[TuxedoKat]

44. Generation Jones

I think Obama is a Generation Jones'er, between Boomer and Gen X, and thus having tendencies of both. If you lived through the end of the Viet Nam War, Nixon's resignation, MLK's and RFK's assassinations, and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, then you have experienced as a young person what many young Baby Boomers experienced too. JFK's assassination was a seminal moment for Baby Boomers as well, but Obama was only two at the time. I can't recall all the Gen X shared experiences, but some were the Challenger Disaster, Ronald Reagan's assassination attempt and the experience of seeing their or their friends' parents divorce, as did Obama's parents.

An interesting book on this topic is Generations, by Strauss and Howe. Although I disagree with them about Obama being an X'er as they cut-off Boomers and Xers at 1961. I think they are too early based on what their own arguments that shared experiences as a young person define and shape a generation.

[Pithlet]

46. I agree. The cutoff is too early.

I don't think the labels are entirely meaningless because of shared experiences. I think there is some overlap between Jones and X but because there's a significant age gap those experiences were shared very differently. As I said before, his generation was graduating from college when we were still in grade school. That's a significant difference. I can see why he wouldn't really identify with boomers, either. I have an aunt who's Obama's age, and she was always the youthful aunt who fun to hang out with and introduced me to a lot of the music I listen to today, but she was still a grown up when I was growing up. She definitely wasn't a boomer like my parents, but we definitely didn't have a shared experience of the times. She experienced the 70's and 80's as a teen and adult whereas I did not. She can vividly remember the late 60's and I wasn't even around.

[Barack_America]

52. That sounds about right. No way he's a baby boomer. His mother was basically a boomer.

[kennetha]

57. the term "baby boom" is a demographic term

used to describe an 18 year surge in birthrates. It isn't really a term for a "generation" whatever exactly that is. Some of the youngest boomers are actually parents of other boomers. Not many though. It's because the folks born during the babyboom years themselves delayed having children that the baby boom came to an end.

[Beacool]

42. He's not Generation X.

He's at the tail end of the Baby Boomers.

[mitchum]

45. I don't subscribe to labels invented by MARKETERS

[Kind of Blue]

47. Tyler Generation, have you seen this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7819687
Been cracking up because it hits me that boomers, joners and Xers are all trying to claim Pres-elect Obama. Sounds like disunity on the threads but I think it's really about how much we love this guy!

[gauguin57]

49. The baby boom was defined by birth rates.

So, 1964 it is. Obama's a Boomer!

[Barack_America]

51. Obama's mother was essentially a baby boomer.

Which, IMO, automatically bumps Obama into the next generation, GenX.

The dates of the generation break-points correspond to the approximate time that the previous generation started having children. Obama's mother, who seemed to largely fall into the baby-boomer mindset, started having children early, so Barack was born into the next named Generation a bit early.

Look at how Obama grew up and what values his mother instilled in him. I don't know how anyone could suggest that Obama was raised as anything other than GenX. I just think it's a bit silly to go more by some arbitrary year cut-off, than the environment he was raised in.

[kennetha]

56. Baby Boom is a term invented by demographers to describe

a radical change in the birthrate after the war that lasted into the sixties and dropped off sharply in beginning in 1965.

Some children of boomers -- not many -- are boomers too. Mostly people borne during the baby boom years themselves significantly delayed having children. That's almost the entire reason there were fewer children born as they (we) started to come of age and why the "boom" ended.

[TexasObserver]

53. Generation labeling is stupid.

In reality, every few years represents a distinct generation. The Boomers who graduated high school in 1964 were vastly different than those who graduated high school in 1971.

Obama represents the generation following the one which produced Dubya and Bill Clinton. It doesn't need a name. It's based upon a difference of 15 years in age.

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. I am within a few months of Obama's age.

from a population/demographics perspective (the original intent) he and I are boomers.

Marketeers got hold of this information and realized that late boomers had little in common with early boomers born a generation earlier. Thus, generation jones.

I am not a gen-X'er.

[kennetha]

55. The Baby Boom is a term of demography

It describes a huge increase in birthrates that started after the war and continued into the 60's. It doesn't really describe a single generation. After 1964, birthrates fell off sharply. That's why anybody born before 1964 is and after the war is considered part of the baby boom -- but it's not really a single "generation" whatever that is.

[JuniperLea]

58. He's a 'Tween, like me...

Anyone who falls into the Boomer date range, but wasn't old enough to fight during Vietnam, is a 'Tween... Gen X is completely different.

[Javaman]

61. The blank generation...(I always equated my generation with this song, I'm 45)

By Richie Hell

I was sayin let me out of here before I was
even born--it's such a gamble when you get a face
It's fascinatin to observe what the mirror does
but when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time

Triangles were fallin at the window as the doctor cursed
He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first
The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, "God's consolation prize!"

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time

To hold the t.v. to my lips, the air so packed with cash
then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks
and watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time

I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time

[Athens30603]

63. Obama is not Gen X. n/t

[Norrin Radd]

64. Tweener.

Plenty of cool ass Tweeners, but our first Gen-X Pres will have purple hair, and play The Clash and The Cure at her inaugural. The first Gen-Y President will be an android.