The Time of Generations

Abstract

This article develops a discursive-pragmatic concept from Mannheim's theory of generation, especially from his idea of generation as an actuality which emphazises the collective cognitive background or horizon of a generation. The author also discusses the emergence of such a cognitive background as dependent on a coincidence of different time perspectives, which are biographical, historical, and generational times. To explicate the discursive practice of generations the concepts of `historical time' (Robinson), `historical semantics' (Luhmann), and `cultural circles' are introduced. The author works out an understanding of the `problem of generation' that should lead to empirical investigations on this topic by using interpretive and reconstructive research methods.

Media and Generations in Portugal

“…While in the age cohort of 1981-1990 (25-34 In fact, if we observe the measures of central tendency, the average age of the total surveyed sample 4 was 47.4 years, with a standard deviation of 18.5. Now, using the two box plots ( Figure 3) and focusing on the average age of the Internet users surveyed, we observe that it was 38 (standard deviation of 14), and, among non-users, 62 (also with a standard deviation of 14). Moreover, the comparative analysis of the quartiles supports the fact that non-users tend to be older in Portugal.…”

“…Many have followed and proposed refinements of Mannheim's seminal contributions [10][11][12][13][14][15]. Some have combined Manheim's legacy with the contributions of Bourdieu [13,16,17].…”

“…Based on sociological theory and drawing mainly on Bourdieu, a generation can be defined as "a cohort of persons passing through time that come to share a common habitus, hexis and culture, a function of which is to provide them with a collective memory that serves to integrate the cohort over a finite period of time" [13] (p. 93). A generation must then have a kind of self-reference and a "we-sense" [14] (p. 258).…”

“…Relating this index with the variable age in scale, an average negative correlation (−0.589) was also found. Likewise, in 2010, creating indexes for activities of communication 14 , information 15 , entertainment 16 , user-generated contents 17 , goods and service 18 , education 19 , and measuring the association with age groups, significant values were found in the measures of correlation 20 -except for the correlation with the indexes goods and services and age. The correlation was negative, in the sense that the levels of use were higher in the younger ages and would decrease in more advanced ages.…”

Intergenerational Learning Among Teachers: An Interaction Perspective

“…e.g., Bell & Narz, 2007;Glass, 2007;Patterson, 2007). Interpretations of the concept of generation vary, and defining it is beset with problems (Corsten, 1999). There are two widespread approaches to its definition.…”