Reflections of a Dreamer

Generationist

10 Jan 2011 1 Comment

by janet in Uncategorized Tags: points-2-ponder

Somebody in my FB friend’s update has posted a note from other friend about Pinoys in the different eras. I was quite amazed at the attitude of superiority towards a certain generation… a sense of generationism. In the place where I live, racism is quite rampant. They don’t make it as obvious… but you can feel it. You can sense it.

Just now, when I was reading a friend’s friend’s note, it surprised me that some of our Pinoy Sisters/Brothers are quite open with their being generationist. And so… to make sense of what I ‘sensed,’ I tried to google whether there is really such term and whether the term has the right implications on what I have sensed and I discovered it to be true.

Generationism is the belief that a specific generation has inherent traits which may be labeled inferior or superior to the traits of another generation. The term is usually applied to claims of superiority in the expressed values, valuations, lifestyles and general beliefs of one generation compared to those of another, where objectively verifiable criteria substantiating the claim of superiority in themselves are lacking.

Generationism is most commonly used as an accusation against the belief that the contemporary generation in itself is inherently superior to previous generations, for example through the common practice of pejoratively referring to ancient cultures as “primitive” – not to be confused with the positive label of primitivism – although an older generation’s opposition to the values and lifestyles of a younger generation may also popularly be referred to as generationist. (source: wikipedia.org)