Generation X

Generation X research paper due and don't know how to start it? How about like this?

Much has been written in the last twenty years or so about the great divide that seems to exist between those that comprise the group known as the baby boomers and those known as Generation X. This difference in thought patterns can be seen in the given responses of each group in the story of "Chris" who cheats on his/her spouse because he/she feels neglected. After Chris cheats, he/she then attempts to get home before the spouse arrives, yet when Chris attempts to cross the bridge, he/she finds it blocked by a madman who kills everyone who approaches. Chris then attempts to take the ferry, yet does not have the $100 demanded by the ferryboat driver. After Chris's lover refuses to give him the money, he then goes to a nearby friend, who also refuses Chris because of the disgust he/she feels at Chris's actions. Finally in desperation Chris attempts to cross the bridge and is killed by the gun-wielding lunatic on the bridge.

When both the baby boomers and those of later generations were asked in what order the players of this story were responsible for Chris' death, the baby boomers overwhelming chose Chris while the others surveyed focused on the minor actors in the story. Given this obvious difference in the way each generation chose to place the majority of blame, one must conclude that the internal thought processes between the generations differ. The "why" question raised by these differences in thought processes is the focus of this paper.

To fully understand how one generation seems to posses an internal focus of control while a later generation possesses an external focus of control, one must first consider the relevant factors tied to each generation.

The following are common elements that relate to generation X'ers:

• Individualistic
• Value balancing work and life
• Technologically adept
• Flexible and adapt well to change

According to sociologists and the media, baby boomers are those individuals born between the years of 1946 and 1964. In the US there are approximately 76 million baby boomers alive today, and in Canada, another 6 million. Members of this group were greatly influenced by the assignation of President Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King. Along with the above, the Vietnam War and Watergate made lasting impressions. The children born at the early end of this era grew up with mother in the home and the father as the "maker of the law" and breadwinner. They knew their place within the family, and were grateful to have loving parents and a home to call their own.