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BBCNewsIsthisGenerationRight?

MAGAZINE
17June2014Lastupdatedat09:29

IsthisGenerationRight?
Peoplearewidelypresumedtogetmorerightwingastheygetolderbutstudiessuggestthosebetweentheagesof
1830oftenholdviewstotherightoftheirparents.VickySprattexplainswhythismightbe.
"Ifyou'reaconservativewhenyou'reyoung,youhavenoheart.Ifyou'renotaconservativewhenyou'reolder,youhaveno
brain"orsothewidelyquotedsayinggoes.
However,in2013thepollingcompanyIpsosMori,alongwiththinktankDemos,releasedtheGenerationStrainsreportwhich
underminedtheideathatyouinevitablystartoutonthepoliticalleftinyouryouthandmovetotherightwithage.
Thereportwasbasedonacompilationof17yearsofpollingresultswhichcomparedattitudesacrossgenerations.Itsuggested
thatinmanyrespectsyoungpeopletoday,that'smygenerationGenerationY,consistingof1830yearoldsaretothepolitical
rightoftheirparentsandgrandparentswhentheywereyoung.
Theirattitudesincludeasuspicionofcollectivism,agreaterscepticismtowardsthestateandmorefaithinthemselvesas
individualstogetthingsdone.Mygenerationhasmovedtotheleftonsocialissuesincludinghomosexuality,women'srightsand
immigration.
Changinggenerations
Babyboomersborninthe1940stomid60s,boughttheirfirsthomewhenpriceswerelowandwatchedpropertypricesrise.Therewasrelativelylow
unemploymentandpensionsweregenerous
GenerationXdescribedina1991bookbyCanadiannovelistDouglasCoupland,GenXcameofageinthe1990s.Thecharactersareintheirlate20s,
highlyeducatedbutwithnoambitionandinmenialjobs
GenerationY1830yearolds,scepticaltowardsthestateandmorefaithinthemselvesasindividuals.Postwarcollectivismisadistantmemory

Butwhatisarguablylesspredictableisthateconomicallywehaveshiftedtotheright.Oneoftheunexpectedexamplesofthe
differencebetweenmygenerationandthosewhocamebeforeuswastheresponsetothepropositionthat"thegovernment
shouldspendmoremoneyonwelfarebenefitsforthepoor,evenifitleadstohighertaxes".
Whileabout40%ofthosebornin1945orbeforestillagreewiththestatement,thenumberstumbleasyoumovedowntheage
range,reachingaroundhalfthatfigureamongthoseaged33andunder.
Similarly,amongGenY,theclaimthat"thecreationofthewelfarestateisoneofBritain'sproudestachievements"isnow
supportedbyaround20%ofpeople.WhenitcomestotheprewarcohortbornbeforeWorldWarTwo,thefigurehasstayedat
around70%.
ForawhileIhavenoticedadistinctdifferencebetweenthewaymyfriendsandItendedtofaceproblemsandthewaymy
parentsorgrandparentsoftenthoughtweshouldfacethem.
ThewayweviewedourselvesinsocietyseemedtohavechangedbutIwasstrugglingtoexplainexactlywhathadhappened.
GenerationYseemedselfreliantandselfconfident.Can'tfindapermanentjob?Don'tclaimbenefitsgofreelance.Need
money?SellsomestuffoneBay.Gotaproblematwork?Don'tjoinaunion,justworkhardandgetonwithit.
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2/22/2015

BBCNewsIsthisGenerationRight?

GenerationYhasbeenlabelled"GenerationRent"orthe"JiltedGeneration"andevenlamentedasthe"LostGeneration"
usuallybycommentatorswhoareolder.
ButI'mconsistentlystruckbyhowlevelheadedmanyGenYsare.Fromthesixthformerswhoarewillinglyabouttotakeonthe
burdenofstudentdebttotheolderyoungprofessionalswhohavescrimpedandsaved,theycomeacrossasambitious,knowing
whattheywantedoutoflifeandhowtogetthere.
Sometaketheviewthatlittleinlifecouldholdthembackandthatallthatwasneededwashardwork.Inthewordsofone,"Ican
achieveanythingsolongasIputtheeffortin."
Thisbuccaneeringapplicationcouldbecharacteristicofourgenerationiftheyhavecometoexpectthatrelativelylittlewillbe
handedtothemandintougheconomictimestheydecidedthattheyhavenobodytorelyonbutthemselves.

Theflipsideofthistrait,however,wouldbethatGenYsverymuchexpectofotherswhattheyexpectofthemselves.
Thismanifestsitselfaslesssympathythanineldergenerationstowardsthosewhoappeartobeinhardship,whethertheyare
unemployedorseekingcertaintypesofmedicalcare.
Timeandagainweheardtherefrainthatifthosewhoclaimhelpweren'twillingtohelpthemselvesfirst,thentheyshouldnotand
couldnotexpectthecontinuedgenerosityofothersandthatthiswasthecompassionatething.
Askedwhetherhergenerationwouldliketoseeatougherapproachtothewelfaresystem,Molly,a19oldstudentfromLondon,
concurred."Imeanfairenoughtothepeoplethatliterallycan'tgetajobandhavetobeonbenefitsbutIthinkit'squitegood
thatourgenerationfeelthatwaybecausewe'remoreinclinedtogooutthereandgetajob."
Whetheritbeanunemployedjobseeker,analcoholicinillhealthorsomeonewantinghousing,GenYsaremorelikelytothink
thatifthey'rejustgivenhelptimeaftertimetheywon'tstandontheirowntwofeet,whichwouldbetherealevil.It'sa"toughlove"
approach.
ThisattitudeisdespitethefactthatGenYersareoneofthedemographicgroupsmostlikelytobebenefitrecipients.
Noneofthisnecessarilymeanstheywillvoteforcentrerightpoliticalparties."Idon'tthinkyoungpeoplebelievepoliticalvalues
arebasedaroundanidentityofbeingaLabourvoteroraConservativevoter,"saysMarkKidson,25,oftheBritishYouth
Council.
"Theywanttosupportgaymarriage.Theyarerelaxedaboutimmigrationbuttheydowanttobetoughonthosewhodon'twant
tocontributetosociety.Thesemixesofviewsarenotwellrepresentedbyanyofthemainpoliticalparties."
Somepeoplewillmournthisshifttowardsindividualismwhileotherswillcelebrateit.Thefactis,though,thatupuntilnowit's
beenlargelyoverlookedbythemediaandpoliticiansalike.
GenerationRightwasbroadcastonBBCRadio4at20:00BSTonMonday,16June.
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