Generational Cultures Part II Millennials and Generation X

Generational Cultures Part II Millennials and Generation X: Challenge and Opportunity for Religious Congregations The Center for the Study of Religious Life

Generational Cultures Credits n Text: Patricia Wittberg, SC n Slides: Patricia Wittberg, SC Sue Diemer Mary Charlotte Chandler, RSCJ n Photos: Microsoft Clip Art except where otherwise indicated in the note field of each slide.

Except where otherwise noted quotations are from Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss, 2000.

Who Are Millennials?

“Mozart in the womb. French lessons at age 2. Software programming at age 4. SAT- prepping at age 10. Are we pushing our kids too hard? ”

I wish I lived in the ‘ 50 s and ’ 60 s, when kids could run around outside and parents wouldn’t worry about all the things they need to worry about today. (Emily, aged 17 in 2000)

When my parents were young, they had to do more for themselves. They had to ride their bikes or walk. We get rides every place. (Stephanie, aged 13 in 2000)

I like to think of my generation, the Class of 2000, and the neighboring years around it, as the Millennial Generation. We’re the kids who are going to change things. (Shansel, aged 17 in 2000)

At my local high school, only 28% of inductees into the National Honor Society this past spring were boys. When I go to award assemblies at my son’s elementary school, I always see girls march forward confidently to claim the prize, and seldom boys. (a parent)

We Millennnials don’t understand why adults constantly push the issue when, in our eyes, gender equality has been achieved. (Michael, aged 17 in 2000)

I think the thing that makes up a good community is having unity and working together. The bad thing is not working together, working against each other. That’s not gonna make any kind of progress. (Julia, aged 13 in 2000)

Badges promote a sense of belonging… Badges provide unity since every student is put on the same level and required to wear one. . . Ready or not, badges are one of the keys on the road to becoming a more responsible adult. (Jessica, aged 17 in 2000).

A few months ago, I had a debate with a group of Gen Xers a few years older than me about how much control individuals have over their own lives. I stated (and several of my Millennial peers agreed) that how successful people are is ultimately a product of their own effort. The Gen Xers laughed at me. (Michael, aged 17 in 2000)

The last thing I want for us is to be known as a bunch of losers like Gen X. (Amy, aged 17 in 2000)

I don’t have a lot of time to do just whatever. (Molly, aged 11 in 2000) If I’m not at school or at work, I’m at home on my laptop, typing essays, looking up French words on-line, or researching for information. I took my laptop to Boston when I visited schools, and I took it to the beach. When I think of pressure, I think of school and its deadlines. (Kathryn, aged 18 in 2000)

Our generation, my friends at least, are tired of hearing the negative aspects of society and are disgusted by the lack of moral values our leaders have, and we want to change. (Katherine, aged 17 in 2000)

I just hope my kids aren’t as rebellious as you boomers were. (Michael, aged 17 in 2000)

Home schooling all of us takes a lot of time, effort, and commitment on my parents’ part. As a consequence, my dad and mom do not have much time for themselves. I see them often working late at night in order to keep up with their own work. My mom has not gone to bed before 2: 00 AM in a long time. (George Thampy, 12, the home-schooled winner of the 2000 National Spelling Bee)

Reflection: Are there Millennials in your life? (born 1982 -1995) n Do you have members in your congregation from this generation? n Are those doing vocation ministry in touch with this age group? n Are members of the congregations in touch with age group through ministry?

What Do Millennials and Gen X Have in Common?

Media Savvy

The most time I spent online was 218 hours in one month. (Jason, aged 16 in 2000)

Consumerist

When adjusted for inflation, parents are spending 500% more money on kids today than parents did on Gen X or the Baby Boomers. (David Walsh, psychologist) Honestly, what teenage girl doesn’t want to look cute and have the latest accessories? (Melissa, aged 16 in 2000)

In Debt

Volunteer

Value Diversity

Generational Spiritualities

“One problem with these ancient customs is that many members of pre-Vatican II generations have attached to them their memories of an overly clerical and rigid Church. Once the Council initiated reforms, many people who experienced the pre-1962 Church wanted nothing to do with that kind of church again. ” (David E. Nantais p. 17)

“The past has the potential to crush our future if we don’t address it. ” (Mary Johnson, SNDde. N)

Reflection: n What is exciting about the descriptions of these younger generations? n What is uncomfortable or challenging? n What are some of the implications for intergenerational community life? n What are some of the implications for vocation ministry?

Millennial and Gen X Spiritualities: Implications for Religious Life

Experientially Oriented When it comes to religion, people should do what they want. I shouldn’t be the one to say what they do.

When we asked young adults what spiritual practices they had engaged in during the last 2 years, a quarter of them have attended Eucharistic Adoration. (Mary Johnson SNDde. N) Image Focused

Value Community The most attractive aspect of church to me is the fellowship that comes with it. Going to church, and other church activities such as youth group, gives me the opportunity to congregate with people who become somewhat of an extended family. (Kwame, 17)

Spiritually Hungry Yes, I have a nice apartment, a great job, a great degree, great clothing. But I feel empty inside rather often. (Tim, 24)

Religiously Disconnected Vatican II, that’s all you ever talk about – like it happened yesterday. (a Gen. X novice)

“In a mass-consumer, capitalist-shaped society, authority increasingly resides not in the church, nor in millennia of tradition, the prayer book, theological experts, or the scriptures. Rather authority resides in the individual human self. Religious knowledge and authority thus become increasingly privatized, subjectivized, customized, and therapeutically psychologized around the controlling authority of individual selves. ” (Smith et al, p. 177)

Service Oriented

Intolerant of Hypocrisy Baby Boomers are hypocrites. (Bobby, aged 17)

Unschooled in Catholicism When I was a student here [at Notre Dame], most students, 90%, had been through Catholic parochial schools from the first grade. So you came here with a ghetto Catholic inculturation that was really enormous. The trick in those days was to break out of it. By contrast, now, kids are coming with a longing for a faith tradition. (Rev. Patrick Gaffney, CSC)

In my public high school, there was no such thing as truth… Here in our theology classes, they’ll say “This is what the Catholic Church teaches. ” At a lot of schools, people won’t say that, out of fear of offending others or out of some sense of political correctness. But that’s not what I wanted. Not to be rude and not to say, “You’re not with me so I don’t like you, ” but really to know what the Catholic Church teaches. (Jason, a student at Notre Dame)

Looking through Generational Eyes

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage n Reclaim Our Spiritual Traditions

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage n Reclaim Our Spiritual Traditions n Create Opportunities for Common Life and Common Ministry

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage n Reclaim Our Spiritual Traditions n Create Opportunities for Common Life and Common Ministry n See the Externals of Religious Life from Their Perspective

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n n n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage Reclaim Our Spiritual Traditions Create Opportunities for Common Life and Common Ministry See the Externals of Religious Life from Their Perspective Understand the Way They Process Information

Strategies for Inviting the Next Generations n n n Proclaim Our Rich Heritage Reclaim Our Spiritual Traditions Create Opportunities for Common Life and Common Ministry See the Externals of Religious Life from Their Perspective Understand the Way They Process Information Distinguish Between Them

Come and See

Reflection: n What was the most surprising? n Are members of the congregations in touch with age group through ministry?

The End of Part II

Some Resources Beaudoin, Tom. 1998. Virtual Faith: the Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. n Brink, Laurie, OP. 2007. “Can We Allow a New Generation to Shape Religious Life? ” Horizon 32(2): 16 -31. n Davidson, James, Dean Hoge, William V. D’Antonio, and Mary L. Gautier. 2007. American Catholics Today. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. n Foley, Gertrude, SC. 1999. “The Generation Gap in Religious Communities. ” Horizon 24(3): 20 -26. n

Grossman, Lev. 2005. “Grow Up? Not So Fast. ” Time, January 24, 2005, pp. 43 -53. n Harris, Frances Jacobson. 2005. I Found It on the Internet: Coming of Age Online. Chicago: American Library Association. n Howard, Margaret M. and Mary Bendyna, RSM. 2002. “A New Generation of Catholics: Catholic Youth in the Context of Other Catholic Generations. ” Horizon 27(2): 18 -24. n Howe, Neil. 2005. “Harnessing the Power of Millennials: New Educational Strategies for the Confident, Achieving Youth Generation. ” School Administrator 62(8): 18. n

Howe, Neil, and William Strauss. 2000. Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Random House. n Irvine, Martha. 2007. “Material Kids Want More. ” Indianapolis Star. January 2, 2007, p. 2. http: //www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qn 41 88/is_20070123/ai_n 17150410 n Johnson, Mary, SNDde. N. 2001. “Building Bridges Between Young Adults and Members of Religious Communities. ” Horizon 26(2): 915. n Keating, Michael. 2004. “Understanding and Serving Young Adults in a Changing World. ” Horizon 29(1): 20 -23. n

Mannheim, Karl. 1952. “The Problem of Generations, ” in Essays on the Sociology of Knowledge, pp. 276 -320. New York: Oxford University Press. n Nantais, David. 2002. “Retro-Catholicism. ” America (May 20): 16 -18. n Prensky, Marc. 2001. “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. ” On the Horizon 9(5): 1 -6. n Riley, Naomi Schaefer. 2005. God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges and the Missionary Generation are Changing America. New York: St. Martin’s Press. n

Sammons, Sean, FMS. 1999. “Helping Insure a Future for Your Congregation: Vocation Promotion. ” Horizon 24(3): 13 -19. n Smith, Christian and Melinda L. Denton. 2005. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. New York: Oxford University Press. n Spanbauer, Lori. 2002. “Snapshot of the Millennial Generation. ” Horizon 27(2): 13 -17. n U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2003. “Celebrating America’s Youth: The Facts are Positive. ” [National clearinghouse on Families & Youth, Silver spring, MD] n