The Generation Gap TodayThe generation gap that was so in evidence during the 60s has resurfaced, but it is not the disruptive force that it was during the Vietnam era, a HYPERLINK " http: //pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/739/woodstock-gentler-generation-gap-music-by-age" \t " _blank" 2009 study suggests. The Pew Research Center study found that 79% of Americans see major differences between younger and older adults in the way they look at the world. In 1969, a Gallup Poll found that a smaller percentage, 74%, perceived major differences. Today, however, although more Americans see generational differences, most do not see them as divisive. That is partly because of the areas of difference. The top areas of disagreement between young and old, according to the Pew Research Study, are use of technology and taste in music. Slightly behind these areas of difference are listed the following: · Work ethic · Moral values · Respect for others · Political views · Attitudes toward different races and groups · Religious beliefs. Differences But Little Division If large differences between the generations exist, why don't they spawn conflict? The answer is twofold. First, the two largest areas of difference - technology and music - are less emotionally charged than political issues. The older generation is likely to be proud of the younger generation's prowess in technology rather than to view it as a problem. As for the musical differences, each generation wants its own style of music, and the older generation generally can relate to that desire. Second, in the other areas of difference, the younger generation tends to regard the older generation as superior to their own generation - clearly a difference from the 1960s with its rallying cry of " Don't trust anyone over thirty." According to the Pew study, all generations regard older Americans as superior in moral values, work ethic and respect for others. I. Find the equivalents in the text: Знаток формулировок; кардинальные различия; поклонение; пренебрежение; пропасть; заметный; снова заставить о себе говорить; порождать; двойственный; вызывающий меньше эмоций; мастерское владение технологиями. II. Answer the questions: 1) Which definition of the generation gap do you like more and why? 2) Do you feel the generation gap in your family, at school, in the families of your friends? 3) In which sphere given in the text is the generation gap more likely to exist? 4) What, do you think, the ways to bridge the generation gap?
Bridging the Generation Gap
|
