THE GENERATION GAP
M. K. GANJU
The
term generation gap has come into wide currency quite recently. Generation gap
may be interpreted as the difference in attitudes, aims, beliefs and complexes
between old and the young in any given culture. “Generational consciousness
entails a feeling of psychological disconnection from a previous generation,
their life and their ideologies”.1
At
the outset the question arises whether the generation gap is just another conceptual
myth of our times or a real symptom and manifestation of the frustration felt
by well meaning people at the prevailing disparity between the new situations
and the traditional responses.
There
are two clear indications to show that the generation gap is real and not
imaginary. One is that it has spontaneously emerged in many countries. Young
people of many countries have found that old methods, practices and beliefs are
no longer relevant. Surprisingly, the protests of young men and women in
different countries are on analogous issues. Such protests and concomitant movements
could not have been artificially caused. For artificial movements have got
smothered for the lack of conviction purpose and the moral force that is
required to sustain them. The movements arising out of the confrontation of
generations have not withered away; rather, they have continuously gained
strength, though the mode of manifestation and the intensity of
expression may have changed from time to time. Secondly we find the leaders of the
various movements have some definite purpose in their minds. We have yet to see
a lunatic with some purpose. The leaders of a movement of generational conflict
are no doubt rebels, but certainly not delinquents. “They have a keen and
outraged sense of right and wrong. A rebel of this type is obsessed with the
evil of injustice, he has a formulated grievance against the status quo, and he
means to do something about it. He is a man with a sense of history and continuity,
planning to re-shape the world in his own image according to his own system.”
2
Some
who do not wish to race the problem find an easy solution by denying the very
existence of this gap. They point out that no upheavals have occurred and that
human nature has always remained the same. They further assert that the new generation
has tasted too much of freedom which has gone to their heads and is inciting
them to behave irresponsibly. They compare such people with rampaging bulls in
a china-shop. Still others insist on two basic tenets to be followed. “The
first is the idea of rationality, the use of reason and dispassionate analysis in
dealing with public issues. The second is the idea of order, because order provides
the environment of security, confidence and continuity in which progress is
possible”.3
Regarding
the first of these it may be said that great many changes have occurred and
that human nature may basically remain the same and yet it may react differently
at different times. The idea of the conservatives of adherence to rationality
and order is also no more acceptable to the younger generation and they
vehemently challenge it. The youth feel that the so-called rationality of the
conservatives is merely based on some convenient hypotheses on which they have
built the edifice of vested
interest, and its perpetuation is sought by sanctifying the principle of order.
As far as irresponsible behaviour and actions of the
younger generation are concerned, there is no doubt that some movements
generated by conflict of generations have caused some disturbances with an upshot
of disruptive violence and collective solipsistic rashness. However, while
condemning what has caused suffering, it should not be forgotten that others
have a definite purpose and structural relevancy in the field of social action,
and that they have tried to find ways to reconcile new demands with the new structures
without causing suffering. To belittle and disparage and consequently overlook
the forces unleashed by the conflict of the generations would be disastrous.
The effects of the generation
gap and the aims and methods employed by the youth involved have to be closely analysed and assessed in order to understand the causes of the gap and to see whether the
movements are being rightly led in the right direction.
It
would be preposturous to conclude that the effects of
the movements caused by the generation gap are always malignant. Just an incident
from the history of Jews would illustrate the contrary. Moses could have
brought the Hebrews to the Promised Land from
Why
did he make his people wander over the deserts of Sinai for four decades? When
his people did enter the Promised Land very few of them were the former slaves
of Pharoah. Most of them were hardy youth with
powerful brawns, and minds free from the obsession of the dread of the
slave driver’s punishment. These were the people, whose tempering was achieved
in a generation untouched by the inhibiting memories of a sterile past, who could re-build a nation and defend it with all their
might and zeal enforced by absolute
faith and self-assurance. This could not have been done by ex-slaves. This was
a case of a generation gap
created deliberately to develop suitable stock to re-build a nation. Who can deny this benign effect of the
generation gap?
What
the youth are able to do may not possibly be done by
the older generation. Man by nature usually wants security; and change is
difficult to adjust to if it requires extra pains to be incurred. In order to
avoid extra pains people may at times like to forego the potential fruits of
change, and continue to remain inactive. In such situations it is the new
generation which becomes the harbinger of new hope, of new era and new visions.
The younger generation not having got bogged down into the
dreary desert sand of dead habit are the best medium to transform the
society. The effect of the generation gap in such cases is that the desired
mutation occurs through the ideal and ideals of the new generation.
Compared
to the biological, the psychological and sociological aspect
reveal a wider gap among the generations. Nearly six million Jews were
killed by Nazis and they usually submitted meekly. But the very next generation
has fought like tigers for
The
present conflict of generations has brought to light what is called the
credibility gap. The young people no longer believe in the hypotheses on which
the older generation have built up the whole structure
of values. The younger generation has become more sceptical.
Scepticism has made them “non-conformists. To some among
older generation the very term “non-conformist” seems to be smacking of sin.
But they forget that the world has benefited more from the non-conformists.
Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Copernicus, Galello, Marx,
Gandhi, Lenin and Einstein, to name a few, were all non-conformists and we know
what they have bestowed on the world. Non-conformity, in its best form, is creatively
activist, intellectual or spiritual.
The
scepticism juxtaposed with credibility gap has
naturally caused an erosion of the will to believe. The wave of incredibility
has not; however, always resulted in thoughtless non-conformity but has
prompted the new generation to penetrate deeper in search of basic ideals and
grill the old hypotheses. For example, some of them are questioning the
naturalistic hypothesis of “survival of the fittest” in the social setting.
They ask whether the system is itself not responsible for making some fit and
others unfit even though the so-called unfits also have the same potential
though not the same opportunity to develop that the fit have. They contend that
if a system creates inequality that system must go.
Such
challenges certainly deserve serious attention and call for a re-examination of
old hypotheses. When the older generation stubbornly refuses to rise to the
occasion, rupture results. It becomes difficult to understand as to what harm is
there for the older generation in furnishing answers, if they have any.
Due
to the vigorous examination of old hypotheses and the emergence of the strong
desire to have a say in the social and political matters which affect them,
waves of protests have occurred. The frequency and intensity of these waves of
protests have made the establishment realize that the young cannot be ignored
any more. The questions pertaining to sex or education may appear small in
themselves but they involve an examination of the political and social
considerations. The generation gap has made so many young people think deeper,
which is very commendable. The marginal effects manifest in bizarre dress or
hair styles are just the indicators of the challenge they are offering. In
parodying conventional social forms, the non-conformist youth may present
itself as an affectionate effigy of the current fads generated by the new ethos.
But one should not presume these manifestations as the only effects. The effects
are more widespread and more deep-rooted.
Youth
non-conformity has not essentially caused a rejection of everything old. It has
also brought back those requirements which have been forgotten by many among
the older generation. For example, many young people have discovered that mere
reliance on materialism has caused a great vacuum and has not made man happy.
Many among them are seeking to know what makes life more balanced. This has led
many to attempt to develop spiritual values so as to make life qualitatively
better.
Various
attempts to resolve problems have been frustrated. The means used by the older
generation are not essentially free from deception. This has caused further
erosion of the will to believe. It will be very dangerous to continue to have
this serious lacuna in the society. The polarisation
would become more acute causing much resistance. The bridges shall have to be
built, communication channels shall have to be established, a cultural and social
resilience shall have to be created and the will to believe shall have to be
fostered. Otherwise violence and frustration will almost tear asunder the very fibres of the society.
We
are well aware of the various reactions that have been generated by
frustration. Frustration is caused when young men and women, even after a long
struggle, are not able to bring about the desired change. Many factors lead to
such situations but the lack of moral support or sanction from elders, excessive
idealism, lack of proper leadership and attachment to family are some of the
main reasons. The effect of frustration can be very serious like suicidalism, withdrawal and destruction. None can deny that
such situations ought to be prevented.
Prevention
is possible when rapport is established between generations, and required
amount of flexibility is incorporated to make changes smooth and peaceful. Two
of the most feared consequences of movements caused by the generational gap are
that these movements may enable perverts to get hold of power and secondly
adoption of the negative approach by the younger generation.
History
is repelete with the examples of revolutionary utopia
far worse than the evils they sought to correct. Such situations generally arise
when causes behind a movement, the methods employed and objectives are not subjected
to close analysis and
continuous study by all concerned. Hence, recognition of problems and examination
of means to solve them must be made by both young and old. This would prevent
power getting into the hand of perverts and tyrants. Secondly in order to make
movements successful it must be recognised that negative
forms of protest shall have to be given up. “These forms may help in discharging
the energy of rebellious instincts but yield little profit to protestors and
the community. The productive way towards non-conformity is the way of positive
rebellion, of protest that at once affirms the rebellious nature of men and the
fundamental human values”. 4 But this is likely only when a
congenial atmosphere prevails. It cannot occur when old and young find
themselves in the tower of babel. Every one should
remember that everything old is not necessarily bad and everything new
necessarily good, and vice versa. Attempts should be made to pick what is
good in both old and new and synthesize them to build a better society.
References
1 Kenneth Keniston. “Youth, Change and Violence.”
The American Review, July 1969.
2 Wolfgang Lederer. “Speaking of Youth.” The
Progressive Magazine,
3
4 Robert Linder. “Must
You Conform”, Prose as Experience. P. 67.