GENERATION GAP

The generational gap is a term popularized in Western countries during the

1960s referring to differences between people of younger generations and
their elders, especially between children and their parents.[1]
Although some generational differences have existed throughout history,
modern generational gaps have often been attributed to rapid cultural
change in the postmodern period, particularly with respect to such matters
as musical tastes, fashion, culture and politics. These changes are assumed
to have been magnified by the unprecedented size of the young generation
during the 1960s, which gave it the power and inclination to rebel against
societal norms.
However, sociologists also point to institutional age segregation as an
important contributing factor to the generational divide. Those in childhood
phases are segregated within educational institutions or child-care centers,
parents are isolated within work-based domains, while older generations may
be relegated to retirement homes, nursing homes, or senior day care
centers. Social researchers see this kind of institutionally-based age
segregation as a barrier to strong intergenerational relationships, social
embeddedness, and generativity (the passing down of a positive legacy
through mentoring and other cross-generational interactions).[2]
Some interventions resulting from intergenerational research have proven
successful in bridging the generation gap. Examples include
multigenerational music groups, or programs bringing "bookend generations"
(elders and preschoolers) together in intergenerational daycare centers
where the elderly mentor the young.[3] Researchers find that positive
relationships built between unrelated children and elders in these settings
tend to be generalized to relationships within the family at home.