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• Hand back ISU work.• How to improve your work.• Deadline to resubmit your ISU

thesis/bibliography is this Friday November 9th!

American Graffiti –Questions to Answer• As the film progresses, note the attitude changes of the following characters:

– Curt Henderson unsure about leaving, realizes its time to move on– Steve Bolander wanted to leave in the morning, decided to stay with his girlfriend over fear

of losing her– Laurie Henderson agrees it would be good to see other people, then clings to Steve– John Milner untouchable but then he begins to soften– Terry “Toad” Fields lies to impress people, gets a self-esteem boost by Debbie and stops

lying• What are some timeless problems teens face as they finish high school?

– Wanting to stay 17– World looks smaller– What to do with relationships-in-progress– Having enough money to pay for school

• Compare the 1960s slang with the slang used today. Is any of the 1960s slang still in use?– Bitchin– Tough– Cool

American Graffiti –Questions to Answer• What are some differences between the “Freshman Hop” and high

school dances today? What are some things that might never change?– Differences = style of dance, girls try to dance with male teachers (and his

response to them)– Similarities = desire to tell off an annoying teacher after graduation (?),

romance on the dance floor• What are some other timeless aspects of youth life illustrated by the

film?– Hanging out in groups– Types of cliques (cool, tough, nerds, beautiful, etc.)– Importance of vehicles

• What are some differences between the 1960s culture shown in the film and out culture today? Which changes are positive, and which are negative?– More disposable income today – “Girls don’t pay; guys pay”– Teachers do not call students “sexy”

The Echo Boom

1. The Echo Effect (with Regional Differences)2. Impact of the Echo Kids

3. Is Generation Y out of control?

The Echo Effect• Look at the Population Pyramid on page 161 of your

textbook.• Notice how there are more 10-19 year olds than

there are 0-9 year olds…– The 10-19 group are the children of the baby boomers –

the Echo Boom– The 0-9 group are the children of the Twentysomethings –

Generation Z• Each generation leaves an echo of itself – however, if

your original generation isn’t very large it is unlikely that your echo will be large

Regional Differences in the Echo Boom• Check out Figure 5.21 on page 161.• What observations can you make?– Echo Boom is strong in Northern Territories and

Saskatchewan, reflecting the high birth rates of areas with large Aboriginal populations

– Popular migration areas also experience the boom– East coast tends not to attract immigrants and a

lot of young people leave the region

Regional Differences in the Echo Boom• What would regions need to do to prepare for the Echo

Boom?– Children/adolescent services– Improved housing, education, recreation, health care– Funding needs to target high Aboriginal birth rates to ensure the

future prospects of Echo kids in Aboriginal communities• What didn’t the Baby Boom generation replace itself?

– Canadian Birth Rate (1960) = 3.5– Canadian Birth Rate (1980) = 1.5– Each couple needs to have at least 2 children for a generation to

replace itself (The Pill and two-income families helped to slow the birth rate)

Impact on Echo Kids (You!)• Retirement of the Baby Boomers allow for increased

job opportunities• Large buying power part-time jobs, increased

allowances and money received from relatives• Shift in radio and TV programming towards youth

markets– What might be considered a youth market?

• Increased activism (cancer research, environmental awareness, “Free the

Children”, etc.)

When the boomers were young, they had to compete for their parents’ money with 2 or 3 siblings because, at the peak of the boom, the average Canadian woman was producing four children. The boomers themselves, however, produced only 1.7 children per family; that means that two-income boomer households have more money to lavish on each.

… What some marketers call the “six-pocket” phenomenon – kids getting cash from two parents and four grandparents – explains why many echo boomers can afford to spend $50 for a Nike Sweatshirt when a similar garment without the trademark can be had for only $15.

The brand name is increasingly important. Echo kids have been saturated in television since birth, and, as a result, they are the most brand-conscious cohort in the history of the planet.

- demographer David Foot (1998) Do you agree? Is this a fair and accurate reflection of your generation?

Talking about (Y)our Generation• There are many stereotypes about the Echo

Boom generation:– Obnoxious teenagers– Disrespectful– Criminals (generally based on sensationalized

youth crime stories)• Are these stereotypes true? How would you

describe (y)our generation with regards to beliefs, values, and interests?

Talking about (Y)our GenerationThe children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they allow disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children now are tyrants, not the servants of

their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize

their teachers.

Who said this and when?Plato in The Republic, about 2500 years ago!…..So really, have things changed much?

Is Generation Y out of control?• Read the Competing Perspectives on pages 164-

165.• Break into 2 groups..– Group 1 – list the evidence in the article that suggests

Youth is out of control. Be sure to summarize the causes suggested as being responsible for the problem.

– Group 2 – list the evidence in the article that suggests You is NOT out of control. Be sure to summarize the reasons suggested that explain the problem.

Is Generation Y out of control?• Based on your reading and group discussions:– Do you think Generation Y is out of control? Why or

why not?– What connections exist between youth crime rates,

the economy, and public social policy?– These articles are now nearly 20 years out of date,

do you think their perspectives are still applicable to today’s youth? Has Generation Y gotten even more out of control since these articles were written or are these issues no longer a problem? Be able to defend your opinion.