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Thinking about Generations: Conceptual Positions and Policy Implications
Author(s) -
Biggs Simon
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2007.00531.x
Subject(s) - psychodynamics , sociology , epistemology , conceptual framework , social policy , conceptual model , social psychology , psychology , positive economics , social science , political science , psychoanalysis , economics , law , philosophy
Three traditions of social theory are examined in this article, with a special emphasis being given to the ways that the concept of “generation” has been conceived and developed over time. These include Psychodynamic, Sociological, and Gerontological approaches with attention drawn to the similarities and differences among them. It is concluded that while conceptual development has been uneven, taken together, they provide a rich basis for a critical examination of contemporary social problems with implications for policy toward intergenerational relationships.