ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of generational differences among student cohorts, with attention to the unique characteristics of today's traditional aged undergraduates. In examining the historical record, A. Levine found that fluctuations in the national mood have repeatedly followed a cycle in which a gradual shift toward community ascendancy continues until a war or other national crisis prompts an abrupt swing toward individual ascendancy. Dealing more broadly with the characteristics of those born from the 1970s through the 1990s, J. M. Twenge offered a synthesis of major findings from numerous psychological studies of post-Baby-Boom Americans. J. J. Arnett's theory of emerging adulthood offers a theoretical foundation for student affairs practice that is uniquely suited to the demands of the 21st century. The prevailing dispositions of successive generations tend to alternate between two complementary styles, labeled dominant and recessive. The potential for parents to play a supportive role in promoting student development has generally been acknowledged.
