Identifying the characteristics of a generation, like generation X or
Baby Boomers, takes up a lot of time for people in the business of
creating messages that appeal to the stereotype of millions of people.
Frankly, it works; far better than we might hope, but it works because a
generation shares a collection of stories that form how they define
their culture. The simplest example compares the reception veterans
received arriving back from Vietnam with those returning from Iraq. The
way we treat those people cannot be separated from the stories that
surround those two very different conflicts.
A more complex demonstration of how the our stories define our responses and understandings of events
is playing out in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is not fair to say that it is
on the campus of the University because it also extends to alumni of
the school. The simple story is that a sorority was prepared to invite
non-whites to pledge the organization for the first time. They were
pressured by people outside of the active membership to forego what
would have been a ground breaking step for the current generation of
students in Tuscaloosa. The decision was followed by an article in the student newspaper and national attention.
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