The ‘lost generation’ of the 2008 crisis: Generational memory and conflict in Spain

Abstract

Since the 2008 crisis, youth unemployment in Southern Europe has hindered a return to social and economic stability: in Spain, the young and unemployed are sometimes referred to as a ‘lost generation’. This article investigates how rampant youth unemployment in Spain has darkened expectations for the country’s future inside the European Union (EU) as well as altered views of the past. Using interviews with jobless young people, the article argues that the severity and duration of the 2008 crisis has prompted historical revisionism. Age cohorts often organise around pivotal events and the article shows how young people have questioned the success of democratisation (1980s) and European integration (1990s), causing a growing rift with their parents’ generation. Finally, it explores generational conflict in Spain through three interconnected experiences of unemployment: returning to live with parents, urban to rural migration for a lower cost of living, and emigration to Northern Europe for employment.

Exploring the Geography of Subjective Happiness in Europe During the Years of the Economic Crisis: A Multilevel Modelling Approach

“…If we consider the country of birth as a proxy for immigration status it could be argued that the coefficient in our models is consistent with work suggesting that immigrants tend to experience higher levels of perceived happiness as a result (Hendrijks, 2018). It may also be of relevance to note that that after the outbreak of the economic crisis there has been a collective feeling of gloom and pessimism across Europe, especially for younger people (Dudel et al, 2016;Holleran, 2019) and in this context those born in the countrymay be more likely (compared to those born abroad) to consider their (and the country and regional) circumstances in relation to remembered or perceived better times in the past. It can also be argued that the lower reported happiness of those born in the country is consistent with tendencies for out-migration and brain drain, especially in the regions that were most negatively affected by the crisis (Cavallini et al, 2018).…”

Economic Effects of Employment Loss Among Young People During an Economic Crisis

“…Another circumstance to be analyzed regarding youth employment is the decision to ee Spain in search of other employment. Given Spain's precarious labor market and the refusal to be underemployed, young graduates under 29 emigrate to advance their careers (Holleran 2019;Mendoza et al 2020). Some motivating factors for emigration are age, marital status, education, and job satisfaction in terms of salary and future prospects (Bartolini et al 2017).…”

Leaving Spain

“…They frequently switched to the personal pronoun 'we' when narrating how they experienced the unfolding repercussions of the economic crisis, including the future prospects of young people which were quickly evaporating. This points to important generational differences in experiencing this collective turmoil, as my younger informants' experiences of entering adulthood differed significantly from those of their parents' generation (Holleran, 2019, Mannheim, 1928.…”

“…Despite clear signs of economic recovery in Spain, most of the returnees found it quite difficult to get a full-time job that could secure them a stable, independent existence. Some people eventually found modest stability in the form of jobs that paid enough to cover their bills but not much more, which has been referred to as the situation of the so-called 'mileuristas' (Holleran, 2019). While their newly acquired language skills (mostly English) did play a role in getting hired, these informants often had to rely on their personal networks to get an interview in the first place.…”