Generational Effects

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• Session 9
• Generational Effects
• Life Cycle Effects

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• Generational Effects refer to differences in
  the political values and behaviors of tow
  different generations these are the result of
  the different social and political context in
  which each generation grew up or came of age.

• Life Cycle Effects are defined as those
  differences in the political values and behaviors
  of different generations resulting from different
  lifestyles and responsibilities as a function of
  age.

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Vietnam and Generational EffectsThe Aging of the
American Protest Generation

• The Vietnam experience was profound, but did
  effects last?
• Institutional effects remain, but what about the
  individuals involved?

• With Generational Effects, characteristics remain
  until there is generational replacement

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• Generations are labeled
• Depression Generation
• Silent Generation
• Protest Generation
• Alternative influences
• Events that shape entire populations
• Life cycle effects

• The Generational Effects
• Generational unit effects a subpopulation
• Continuity
• Absolute
• Relative
• Equivalent

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The Protest Generation

• Studied in 1965, 1973, and 1982
• Non-protestors are compared to protestors
  (sit-in, march, demonstration)
• Attitudes measured
• Partisanship and civil liberties
• Specific groups and issues

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• The protestors voted at a higher rate than the
  non-protestors
• Protestors became more Democratic, non-protestors
  moved toward Independent and Republican status
• Attachment to civil liberties declined, but
  remained relatively stronger for the protestors
  with gap widening over time

• Difference in attitudes toward groups varied by
  group
• Differences in issue attitudes also varied across
  issues
• The Protest Generation retained absolute,
  relative, and equivalent continuity, though their
  absolute continuity did weaken

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Feminism and Generational Change

• Period Effects these occur when change affects
  all generations

• Support for feminist goals is well predicted by
  age
• However, generational change has been observed
  (1980s)

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Politicized Consciousness

• There must be an awareness of group membership in
  order for group to be a basis for political
  opinions
• Group Consciousness
• Recognition of shared interests
• Discontent (Polar Power)
• Societal rationale for group conditions is
  rejected (System Blame)
• Group solution is sought (Collectivist
  Orientation)

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Cohort Analysis

• Pre-Suffrage Pre 1902
• Twenties 1921-1929
• Depression 1930-1939
• World War II 1940-1945
• Mystique 1946-1959
• Sixties 1960-1966
• Womens Liberation 1967-1977
• Reagan 1978-1988
• Post-Reagan 1989-1996

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Findings for Feminism and Period Effects

• Generational turnover increased the level of
  feminist consciousness from 1972 to 1976
• The most feminist women were those who came of
  age during the womens movement in the 1970s
• The youngest cohort was less feminist than the
  Womens Liberation cohort but more feminist than
  women overall
• Both generational and period effects at work

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Life Cycles and Marriage

• Four Influences of Marriage

• Marital partners adjust their activity levels to
  become more like their partners
• Martial transitions of any type tend to depress
  participation
• The marriage effect is mediated by the
  participation level of the partner
• The mediation is greatest for political
  activities that involve collective efforts

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• Consistent finding that marriage increases
  participation
• However! marriage involves transition,
  particularly in an era of high divorce rates
• This transition can influence participation
  through
• Changes in life space income daily life,
  employment, place of residence, demands and
  rewards
• The characteristics of the spouse

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Changes in Marital Status

• Couple Correspondence in voter turnout increases
• Also for influencing others, contacting a public
  official, working to solve a local problem,
  writing a letter, and protesting
• Is the change a result of the influence of
  husbands and wives on each other or is it a
  result of the environment?

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• Spousal Influence
• Learning

• Shared Circumstances
• Activities that involve shared resources

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Specific Findings

• The influence of marriage is larger for
  participation other than voting (that involves
  shared resources)
• This suggests changes in life space are more
  important than spousal influence

• New marriage depresses turnout for young
  newlyweds
• Divorce or separation depresses turnout for young
  newlyweds
• For older couples, death of a spouse depresses
  turnout