Generation X

English translation: Generation X

09:45 Mar 17, 2002

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Science - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / Social

English term or phrase: Generation X

There is a debate on the discussion of the true meaning of generation X in Chinese translators' circle. Please share your knowledge on American culture for the phrase.

Yang JS (X)

Selected answer:Generation X

Explanation:
I've put a link to an excellent page with info about Generation X, what it is, etc. Here's what is says:

"Well it's the group of people born between 1961 and 1981. It's that simple.

It seems we have come to be called Xers simply because we represent something negativee to our elders. We may be the one thing that all of the generations who currently precede us have in common. That is--the ability to speak assuredly about our shortcomings. Of course, they overlook the fact theat we are their responsibility, or actually their fault, our generation will be called upon to look after our parents knowing that they failed to look after us. Intergenerational justice failed somewhere along the way and it will be our task to either rectify it or make it worse.

We are a group of individuals who grew up with no one at home after school. It appears we have little hope for the future. No jobs, no homes, and basically no money are almost expected of us. These bleak prospects, along with the fact that we will be forced to support the largest amount of senior citizens ever, do not provide much hope. Some believe that these blockades will be too much for us to handle and we will for the most part fail at life, but many see our individualism and resourcefulness that have been built up through our childhoods as our saviors. We will soon discover who is right and who is wrong."

Hope it helps.
Best wishes,
Sarah.

Selected response from:

Sarah Brenchley
Local time: 04:36

Grading comment

Thank you all for the attention and time. Sarah's post is most helpful for me to investigate the term. Many thanks.

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +3

Generation X

Sarah Brenchley

4 +1

See the Generation-X website below:

Olga Simon

4 +1

Punk Generation

Berni Armstrong

see definition

wrtransco

Answers

2 mins confidence:

see definition

Explanation:
NOUN: The generation following the post–World War II baby boom, especially people born in the United States and Canada from the early 1960s to the late 1970s.
ETYMOLOGY: After Generation X, a novel by Douglas Coupland (born 1961), Canadian writer.
OTHER FORMS: Generation Xer (eksr) —NOUN

Reference: http://www.bartleby.com/61/3/G0080350.html

wrtransco
Local time: 22:36
Native speaker of:

German

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Generation X

Sarah Brenchley
Local time: 04:36
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you all for the attention and time. Sarah's post is most helpful for me to investigate the term. Many thanks.

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

See the Generation-X website below:

Explanation:
WHAT IS GENERATION X?

Well it's the group of people born between 1961 and 1981. It's that simple.

It seems we have come to be called Xers simply because we represent something negativee to our elders. We may be the one thing that all of the generations who currently precede us have in common. That is--the ability to speak assuredly about our shortcomings. Of course, they overlook the fact theat we are their responsibility, or actually their fault, our generation will be called upon to look after our parents knowing that they failed to look after us. Intergenerational justice failed somewhere along the way and it will be our task to either rectify it or make it worse.

We are a group of individuals who grew up with no one at home after school. It appears we have little hope for the future. No jobs, no homes, and basically no money are almost expected of us. These bleak prospects, along with the fact that we will be forced to support the largest amount of senior citizens ever, do not provide much hope. Some believe that these blockades will be too much for us to handle and we will for the most part fail at life, but many see our individualism and resourcefulness that have been built up through our childhoods as our saviors. We will soon discover who is right and who is wrong.
Taken from:
Generation X
Generation X. What is Generation X? Definitions of Generations. Facts And Figures.
Debt, Deficit and Entitlements. ... Music And Generation X. Generation X Movies. ...

www.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/EC/generationx96/Genx/

Reference: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/EC/generationx96/Genx/

Olga Simon
Hungary
Local time: 04:36
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Punk Generation

Explanation:
Although my colleague's answer is academically accurate. The commonly held understanding of the term in Britain describes the generation that were in their teens when punk hit the streets in 1978.

These kids had a nihilistic, negative spirit (in contrast to the positive, life-affirmative hippies of the previous youth culture movement). The slogan "No Future" summed up the general attitude of the Generation "X"ers. They had seen the hippy dream die as children and they were witnessing the disappearance of solidarity among young people in favour of the "get rich or go to the wall" attitude that would rule the eighties (and nineties).

Why "X" ??? - well, that would be covered by the other slogan common at the time "Whatever it is we're against it!" "X" in hte box in Britain usually means you reject the option (a tick means you're in favour of it)

Hope you find this useful.

Berni Armstrong
Spain
Local time: 04:36
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Mike Sekine: I am a GenXer and indeed I am a punk.

55 mins

agree

Roddy Stegemann: There was also a politically active priest named Malcolm X, whose radical views toward the United States government one him world-wide fame and his eventual murder.

1 hr

agree

DTec: It's a very clever idea - 'X'as a symbol of 'against'!

3 hrs

disagree

RHELLER: these two are not linked in the US

3 hrs

-> I did say IN BRITAIN - The US interpretation of the phrase is unknown there.

neutral

Alison Schwitzgebel: It's a bit more than the punk generation (although I'm an Xer and former punk!). Xers are the baby-boomers kids.

5 hrs

-> Baby Boomers were Van Morrison & Company ("we were the wild children/ Born 1945/ When all the saoldiers came marching home from war / With love looks in their eyes. These people were in their mid-twenties by "Revolver" and nearly 40 by the time of punk

disagree

athena22: Sorry, no. The punk generation and GenX are not the same set in the US. The Punk gen. is a subset of GenXers.

7 hrs

-> As I said before, I only referred to what the term came to mean in the UK.

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