GenerAges: Generations As They Age

January 1, 2011

Authors

  • Emily Robbins
  • Michael Payne
  • Amber M. Cable
  • Jane K. Straker
  • Suzanne R. Kunkel

At the Scripps Gerontology Center, we are focused on work that makes a difference in the lives of aging individuals, their families and their communities. For the GenerAges project, we set out to compile a list of the historical events and life circumstances that came together to shape the lives of individuals turning 100, 85, and 65 years old in 2011. The resulting pages provides a snapshot of each of these groups, capturing the meaningful social changes and major events that have affected their lives as they grew up and as they age. We hope that this report will be useful to those working with, caring for, and studying about older adults. In the following pages you will see that the experiences of these generations are unique. Yet, there remains a great deal of continuity across these three groups. Regardless of the decade of birth, the overarching message is constant: we shape and are shaped by events and circumstances that occur in the past and we carry those experiences and lessons with us as we enter older adulthood.

Full Report (PDF 15MB)

Topics

  • Education