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 ofmanifestation 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 ofvested 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 Egypt say, in a year or two. But why did it take him forty years?

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 ofthem were hardy youth with powerful brawns, and minds free from the obsession of the dread ofthe 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 Israel. The new generation did the task which was inconceivably beyond the capacity of the older generation. In this case, the historical process affected the thoughts of the new generation, and the new ways of thought emerged as a force for action directed to the transformation of the entire society and culture.

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 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, Madison, Wisconsin, December 1969.
³ Arnold Steinberg. “The Conservative View.” The American Review, July 1969.
⁴ Robert Linder. “Must You Conform”, Prose as Experience.P. 67.