Generation gap is a difference in values and attitudes between one generation and another, especially between young people and their parents. These differences stem from older and younger people not understanding each other because of their differences in experiences, opinions, habits, and behavior.
History has always seen some degree of generational differences. For instance, women in the 1920s shocked their elders by wearing short skirts and bobbed hair. However, the term “generation gap” came into wide use in the United States and Europe during the 1960s. It described the cultural differences between the baby boomers and their parents. During this era, the differences between the two generations were exaggerated in comparison with previous times. There were major differences in many things such as music, fashion, drug use, and politics. Experts suggest that this situation may have been created because of the extraordinary size of the baby boomer generation, which in turn gave them a...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Suggested Readings
El Nasser H, Grant L (2005, June 9). Diversity tints new kind of generation gap. USA Today, pp A4
Harms W (2000) Survey: generation gap closing. University of Chicago Chronicle, 20(4) (online journal)
McGraw J (2001) Closing the gap: a strategy for bringing parents and teens together. Simon & Schuster, New York
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Mendez, N. (2008). Generation Gap. In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_195
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_195
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-33753-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-33754-8
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine