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Theory of generations
Sociological theory / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Theory of generations (or sociology of generations) is a theory posed by Karl Mannheim in his 1928 essay, "Das Problem der Generationen," and translated into English in 1952 as "The Problem of Generations."[1] This essay has been described as "the most systematic and fully developed" and even "the seminal theoretical treatment of generations as a sociological phenomenon".[2] According to Mannheim, people are significantly influenced by the socio-historical environment (in particular, notable events that involve them actively) of their youth; giving rise, on the basis of shared experience, to social cohorts that in their turn influence events that shape future generations.[2] Because of the historical context in which Mannheim wrote, some critics contend that the theory of generations centers on Western ideas and lacks a broader cultural understanding. [3][4] Others argue that the theory of generations should be global in scope, due to the increasingly globalized nature of contemporary society.[5]
![Timeline of generations in the Western world.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Generation_timeline.svg/320px-Generation_timeline.svg.png)