Generational History and Values: Baby Boomers II and Millennials

The Contrast in Generational History and Values: Baby Boomers II (1956-1964) and Generation Z (the 2000s)
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The Contrast Between Generational History and Values: Baby Boomers II (1956-1964) and Millennials (1985-1999)
Generational personality is shaped by the events experienced by people of a generation as they grow up in a certain period. These events not only shape a generation's values and beliefs but also shapes that generation's artistic expression. Today, as the world is geared towards patient-centered and evidenced-based health care, understanding the differences between these generational values and history across different generations is vital for providing quality care. In this view, the current paper aims to discuss the differences between Baby Boomers (born between 1956 and 1964) and Millennials (born between 1985 and 1999). Understanding these differences is central to providing quality healthcare from a patient-centered point of view, in which approaches recognize and respect the values held by members of each generation. In essence, the differences and similarities between these two generations should inform how medical professionals approach to care provision and the differences in values to shape each individual's particu
In this view, the current paper will discuss the major historical events that shaped each generation's values, attitudes, and beliefs. In doing so, and based on four different movies, the paper will also discuss how these events shaped the artistic expression of each generational cohort. The information will then help differentiate between revealing and analyzing the different values each cohort has and how these values impact their specific healthcare concerns.
Historical Events that Shaped Each Cohort
A historical event refers to a particular incident that triggers widespread historical change. Examining historical events is important because it helps the current generation understand how past systems, ideologies, governments, technologies, and cultures were built, how they operated, and how they have evolved. According to de Regt et al. (2018), events occurring during adolescence and young adulthood are the most important because they shape a generation's worldviews, beliefs, values, and attitudes. This is because such events allow people to be socialized in different contexts, bringing about different reactions to developments in life, such as access and experience with healthcare systems.
Historical Events that Shaped Baby Boomers II
The Baby Boomer II generation refers to the American population born between 1956 and 1964. Based on this period, this cohort turned teenagers and young adults between 1966 and 1974. This means that this is the period in which they began to make sense of the major events, local or international. Thus, while previous events such as the World Wars may have shaped the environment in which they lived, the events that occurred during their lifetime are the most significant and, therefore, considered.
From a technological point of view, Baby Boomers grew up during the Cold War era, partially marked by the space race. On July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, it marked one of the most memorable moments of this generation. After walking on the moon, Neil Armstrong said, "that's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind" (History, 2022). Even more memorable about the moon landing is that it was televised live across an audience of over 600 million people. Regarding technological advancement, the moon landing is significant because it marked the first success of human ventures in space. The generation's capability to achieve the unbelievable from the construction of airspace, travel through space, and safe return. In 1961, in his appeal to Congress, President Kennedy highlighted the significance of the moon landing by stating that "the nation (America) should commit itself to achieve the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning his safely to earth" (NASA, 1961). When the Cold War raged, the moon landing, among American Baby Boomers, was a significant show of the country's technological superiority.
Regarding politics and social justice, Baby Boomers grew alongside the Civil Rights Movement and came of age when the effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensued. The Civil Rights Movement was a nonviolent social movement campaigning in the US between 1954 and 1968. It aimed to abolish legalized segregation, different forms of discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the United States. Notable moments within the movement include the Selma March and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. On March 7, 1965, nearly 25,000 in a 50-mile stretch crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge to begin the Selma to Montgomery march. On the bridge, the peaceful demonstrators were attacked by state troopers. This time, just like the moon landing, cameras were present, exposing police brutality against people whose parents and grandparents had lived under Jim Crow laws.
This Baby Boomer generation grew amidst heroes who led the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr., for instance, was a household name, having spent his life fighting for Civil Rights and ending racism. The day before his assassination, on April 3, 1968, he seemed to eerily foreshadow his death in a speech when he said, "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you…" (Josiah & Oghenerho, 2015). At the age when TV was taking hold within households and after successful television of the moon landing and the Civil Rights Movement, Kings death was reported far and wide. For the young generation and the many people who considered him a hero, this was a defining moment, particularly for those beginning to make sense of American politics.
While the struggle for Civil Rights continued within, the realities of the war in Vietnam began to be felt by this generation. With over 47,343 American fighters killed in Vietnam and the poor treatment of those who returned home, the Baby Boomers became the youngest generation in the protests against the Vietnam War. In 1967, large-scale anti-war protests occurred across cities like San Francisco and New York (ZEP, n.d.). Aside from the Civil Rights Movement protests, the anti-war protests were the first real act of defiance against a government and a culture. This resulted in the hippie movement during the 1960s and 1970s when Baby Boomers were in their twenties. The beginning of Beatlemania in 1963 might have ushered in the hippy generation (Tunney, Henkens, & van Solinge, 2022). This is the generation dissatisfied with mainstream American culture. Having learned from nonviolent protests of the Civil Rights Movement, this generation extended it into a distinctive brand of rebellion, including the love of rock music, colorful style, long hair & beards, use of psychedelic drugs, and eco-conscious lifestyle.
Historical Events that Shaped Millennials
People born between 1985 and 1991 came of age in the later 2000s. This age range falls within the millennial generation, who are now between the age of 26 to 45 years. Across the 45 years, this generation has experienced major events, including the Great Recession, 9/11, the rise of the internet & computers, and the expansion of social media.
The Great Recession occurred between 2007 and 2009 when this generation was becoming of age. The period was marked by the decline of global economies and the disruption of international relations. The IMF said it was the most severe financial and economic meltdown since the Great Depression. Many among the Millennials generation experienced foreclosures & eviction, and loss of jobs that strained households. The period saw a decline in the stock market with major businesses failing worldwide. The Great Recession opened the young generation to the vulnerabilities of the local and global economies. Therefore, it shaped their mindset about wealth in line with the realities of decreased savings, fewer employment opportunities, and reluctance to buy homes (Ross & Rouse, 2015). With many millennials graduating at the height of this crisis, the Great Recession might have shaped their values, attitudes, and world views.
The millennials also came of age when war raged in Iraq and Afghanistan. The key trigger to the war in the Middle East was the September 11 (2001) suicide terrorist attacks on the United States. This generation grew up talking about Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Al-Qaeda. It was exposed to American foreign policy at a young age. During the war and the aftermath of 9/11, this generation was still young when the United States elected its first African American president, marking a watershed moment in American politics and history. The election of Obama into office marked a significant change in American attitudes, particularly towards the issues of racial exclusion in top government and elective positions, a stark contrast with the 1960s when African Americans were pushing on with the Civil Rights Movement and fighting for equal rights.
At the same time, this generation grew alongside the development and worldwide roll-out of computers and the emergence of mobile phones. The internet and computers were significant because they transformed all spheres of life, from communication, healthcare, security, and workplaces, to entertainment. A look at sports consumption, for instance, reveals the influence of the internet on millennials compared to earlier generations. According to Yim et al. (2021), millennials are not bothered by regional restrictions, unlike Baby Boomers and Gen X who prefer supporting local clubs or teams. Growing up alongside the internet, computers, phones, and social media allowed them to reach and join international communities in different sports. More importantly, growing with the internet exposed the generation to more information and shaped their communication habits.
Artistic Expression of the Millennial & Baby Boomer Cohorts: Movies
Aside from the key historic...