The Weight of a Generation

In an attempt to determine whether the dominant ideas in a society are those of the dominant age group, the role of the "baby boom" generation in influencing contemporary Quebec society is investigated. The age cohort is identified as those born between 1937 & 1954. A linguistic analysis of 16 representative texts on polemical subjects -- articles on Quebec society & nationalism from the 1960s through the 1980s -- focuses on the construction of identity ("we," "you," & "they"). While the demographic weight of the baby boom generation has undoubtedly affected the social structure, there is no evidence that leading ideological paradigms originated with this generation. 1 Table, 2 Figures. C. Waters