Lost in Hyper-Reality: The End of American Generations in Actuality

• In Event: 545 - Section on Sociology of Culture Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 14. Theory II

Abstract

Karl Mannheim’s theory of generations has proven useful to the study of various sociological phenomena since its introduction in 1923, but the rapidly changing societal context of the United States calls for the expansion or reinterpretation of Mannheim’s ideas. The authors argue that Mannheim’s concept of “generations in actuality” – conscious, cohesive, socially active cohorts – cannot be applied to American youth in the 21st century due to social shifts influencing the process of formation of new generations. In particular, we focus on the effects of mass media and consumption culture that blur the boundaries between social realities and made-up representations. Thus, three particularly impactful changes are discussed: the displacement of genuine collective trauma experiences with media exposure, the dissolution of age boundaries in the consumption of cultural products, and the lack of clearly delineated and effective channels for social action. In sum, it is difficult to construct a generation in actuality that can bring about significant social change for American youth due to the massive effects of hyper-reality. How to critically retrieve social agency that is conscious, cohesive, and socially active from the American youth generation lost in hyper-reality is one of the most pivotal social problems in the face of the current global consumption culture and structure in the United States.

Authors

• Anna Brinkman, Sogang University

• Seil Oh, Sogang University