Do you think men and women Gen Xers have different outlooks and views on how the world works, based on different reactions to the events of their teen years?

As those of you whove read earlier posts know, one of the things that makes a group of people a generation is that they share a common location in history and the experiences and mindset that accompany it. These shared experiences tend to shape a similar set of beliefs and behaviors.

The common experiences of our teen years tend to have the most powerful influence on its members shared beliefs and behaviors. Research conducted by Swiss biologist and psychologist Jean Piaget concluded that children deal with abstract concepts and build cognitive structuresmental mapsto help make sense of their experiences between the ages of 11 to 13.

Another interesting wrinkle: teen boys and girls may focus on different events and reach different conclusions. For example, when challenged to identify the most important news of the 20th century in a survey conducted by USA Today in 1999, men and women pointed to dramatically different events. Men chose the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945 as No. 1 and Japan bombing Pear Harbor in 1941; women named the 1928 discovery of penicillin and the Wright brothers first flight in 1903.

Commenting on these survey results, Deborah Tannen, author of You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, said that the varying responses reflect her view that men "approach everything through the war template" while women "focus on people and what's happening in their lives." John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, attributed the differing results to biology and hormones. "The male is the protector," Gray said. "The female is the nurturer, taking care of the family, interested in health and social issues." Hmmm . . .

Well, regardless of the explanation, Id love to know what you remember and how you think it influenced your view of the how things work. Which events had the biggest impact on you? How did they cause you to assume the world worked? What priorities did you set for your life, as a response? Do you think Gen X men and women formed different impressions?

Gen Xers were teens in the 1980s and 90s. Some of the key events of this period in history are described below.

The conflict in Vietnam ended when Gen Xers were children: North Vietnam took Saigon in 1975. As teenagers, Xers saw:
Gorbachev begin glasnost in 1985
Berlin Wall fall in 1989
Soviet Union dissolve in 1991
Apartheid end in South Africa in 1993

This was a time of rapid progress in science and technology. Some of the events had a bit of a brave new world feel. The first test tube baby was born when Xers were children and pre-teens in 1978. As teens, Gen X saw:
The deadly AIDS disease identified in 1981
Chernobyl nuke plant explode in 1986
Scientists clone sheep in 1997
Pathfinder send Mars photos in 1997

Information technology was particularly at the fore. By the time Xers became teens, Gates and Allen had started Microsoft (1975) and the Apple II had become the first mass-marketed PC (1977). As teens and young adults, Xers saw the rapid development of the World Wide Web, beginning in1989.

The social fabric was changing significantly during this time, as well. For the first time, women were entering the workforce in significant numbers. The percentage of women in the workforce during the time Gen Xers were teens rose from the mid-30 percent range to nearly 60 percent in the United States. For the kids, there was virtually no infrastructure in place to support this movefew day care centers, no nanny networks or company-sponsored child care. As a result, the Gen X children became the first generation of latchkey kidshome alone many afternoons, often depending on friends for both companionship and support.

The entry of women into the workforce was hastened by the significant increase in divorce rates. Xers living in the United States saw divorce rates among their parents skyrocket from the low 20 percent level when they were young to over 50 percent by the time they were teens.

Teenage Xers also witnessed a significant increase in adult unemployment, as corporate restructuring dramatically revamped any concept of lifetime employment. Most teen Xers knew some adult who was laid off from a job that he or she had planned hold until retirement.

And, finally, there was the Monica Lewinski scandal, culminating in President Clinton impeachment hearings in 1998.

How did these events influence your views of how the world works and the choices you are making today?