The Generation Myth: Why When You're Born Matters Less Than You Think

Written by Bobby Duffy

Narrated by Ralph Lister

Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen Z—we like to define people by when they were born, but an acclaimed social researcher explains why we shouldn't.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media
• Release date: Jan 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666535082

Bobby Duffy

Bobby Duffy is one of the UK's most respected social researchers. A professor of public policy and the director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, he previously directed public affairs and global research at Ipsos MORI and the Ipsos Social Research Institute. He is the author of Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything. His research has been covered by a range of outlets. He lives in London.

Reviews for The Generation Myth

[Warren Stevens · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Worth reading if this is your thing. Decent analysis, but framing generational studies as a “myth” just to postulate your own version of generational studies struck me as needless contrarianism. I think his critique of the mainstream conversation regarding generational stereotyping is valid. History isn’t a horoscope. But scholars such as Twenge, Strauss, and Howe present perfectly valid and useful sociological theories. His more granular analysis of cohort, period, and lifecycle compliments the more generalized analyses of these other academics. They don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Also, he’s coming from the perspective of a UK demographer, when Twenge and Howe are focused on the US—which does tend to have more extreme social trends.