Not since the 1960s have old and young Americans been so divided on basic social issues. Vietnam, civil rights and women’s liberation created a deep divide between today’s Baby Boomers and their WWII-era parents. Today the flashpoints are morality, religion and relationships. The widening philosophical divide between the generations has the potential to drive an uncomfortable wedge between parents and their adult children.
Public opinion results recently released by the independent Pew Research Center indicate a widening gap between the generations. Eighty percent of those polled felt major discrepancies exist between the core values of older and younger U.S. adults. That’s a greater gap than the 74% reported in 1969, the peak in a decade of generational strife. Since 1979, the nation’s perceived generation gap had been fairly stable at about 60% but started increasing during the Obama/Bush campaign.
Different social values and opposing views on morality were cited by nearly 50% of survey respondents as the greatest stressors between the generations. Older adults complained about the younger generation’s sense of entitlement and lack of social manners. Younger adults aged 18 to 29 who expressed wider acceptance of interracial relationships and gay marriage felt contradictory views on family, dating and relationships caused the most generational strife.
Some older adults felt youthful attitudes on family and relationship issues signaled moral decline among the young. Such generational differences may be as much religious as cultural. Two-thirds of adults 65 and older indicated that religion played a key role in their lives compared to about half of adults 30 to 49. Only 44% of those 18 to 29 said religion was important to them. Older adults tended to equate religious beliefs/practice with moral values. However, younger adults more often defined moral issues in terms of social justice and independent from religious belief.
Generation gap issues can create stress, anxiety, even anger between family members that can take a serious toll on family relationships. Open discussion, tolerance and respect for each others’ viewpoints is essential if families are to bridge generational divides. When differences exist between parents and their adult children, it is important to recognize that each adult has the right to make his/her own choices and set the rules in his/her own home.
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