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Sociological perspectives on generations and generational change
13 November 2024
3pm to 4.30pm
Room 828, IOE Main Building, UCL, 20 Bedford Way, London
Generations are central to understanding how contemporary societies change. Many important trends, such as declining levels of religiosity, increased concerns about climate change, and changing views about gender roles, are partly driven by processes of generational replacement. At the same time, generations have become a more salient source of identity, sometimes leading to conflicts or tensions, such as that between “boomers” and “millennials” in the housing market. Sociologists have an essential role to play in informing debates around these topics. Fulfilling this role requires an understanding of what we mean by generation as well as rigorous analysis. This mini-symposium will further discuss the needs and opportunities for such research, highlighting the value of generations as a key concept in sociologists’ toolkit.
The symposium will host contributions by Chris Gilleard (Honorary Associate Professor, UCL Division of Psychiatry) and David Voas (Emeritus Professor, UCL Social Research Institute, IOE), followed by a discussion with the audience.
Chris will consider the place of the term “generation” within the social sciences. As he will explain, the term has been used to describe generations as (i) positions in family lineages, (ii) birth cohorts (or historical locations), and (iii) patterns of historical participation, but the idea of generation as an identity is relatively new. Chris will focus upon this latter aspect and the social and cultural influences that have played a part in fashioning today’s generational identities.
David will zoom in on secularization, which is largely the result of a slow but almost irreversible process of generational replacement, with far-reaching cultural consequences. He will ask what is driving these trends: What social and cultural changes make each generation slightly less religious than the previous one? What is the relative importance of changes in geographical mobility, family structure, education, technology, and economic conditions? Which agents of socialisation are operating differently than in the past?
- This symposium is open to UCL researchers - PhD and above
- This symposium has been convened by UCL’s Sociology Network Coordinating Group members Paul Higgs (Professor of Sociology of Ageing, UCL Division of Psychiatry) and Dingeman Wietz (Associate Professor of Quantitative Social Science, UCL Social Research Institute, IOE)
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