The Generational Link

Behavioural sociologists have recently begun to study this phenomenon of repetition through their studies of human generations. Generations are defined as collections of people born over a single period of time who share a common place in history and a collective persona. Each generation lasts approximately two decades, after which it fades into the background as the next generation comes into its own.

There is discussion about whether generations guide societal direction or society guides the development of generations. Suffice it to say that the two influence each other. In fact, societies as development rule pass through four behavioural phases. These phases are driven by a number of forces including changes in societal values, political power shifts, balances in social makeup and economic upturns or downturns.

 

Steven Shepard is the president of the Shepard Communications Group in Williston, Vermont. A professional author and educator with 24 years of varied experience in the telecommunications industry, he has written books and magazine articles on a wide variety of topics. [...]

Mr. Shepard received his undergraduate degree in Spanish and Romance Philology from the University of California at Berkeley and his Masters Degree in International Business from St. Mary's College. He spent eleven years with Pacific Bell in San Francisco in a variety of capacities including network analysis, computer operations, systems standards development, and advanced technical training, followed by nine years with Hill Associates, a world-renowned telecommunications education company, before forming the Shepard Communications Group. See complete biography »