Generationing

Generationing is a concept addressing the processes in which people come to be identified (by others and themselves) as members of a certain age category with the characteristics attributed to these members (i.e., whereby they come to be children, adults, or older adults in a socially relevant way). Furthermore, the concept of generationing implies that it is always the double and reciprocal work of members of society that makes chronological age socially relevant. This subsumes people under age categories, but the categories themselves must constantly be worked out: their relevance, their demarcations, their meanings, and the exact attributes and values that are given to the members in general and, in particular, to individuals in a given situation. This entry examines why generationing is a key ...