More on Politics and Gen Y
Recently, I've been subbing at a Christian school in the history department. Sometimes, I'll open the class by directing their attention to the latest news around our world. My aim is to try to connect history (aka. "Why do we have to learn about old dead people?") to their world. Lately, I've talked about current primaries for each of the major political parties. The students aren't really clear about certain issues but seem to know who the candidates are, even if only because they've heard the pros and cons from their parents.
Most high school students are just beginning to grapple with issues related to government and economics, since they usually start taking these subjects in their senior year. By the time they are heading to college, most have some opinion about politics and some will be a part of the political process, whether through campus organizations or by some other means.
This year's candidates are recruiting heavily among young people, and many are trying to be candidates of "change," which resonates deeply with college age. Understanding how and why a younger generation becomes involved with politics can be a doorway into seeing the social landscape for a future generation. Churches should take note of young people as a whole and not put them into "compartments." We still need to reach and meet spiritual aspirations of younger generations, but this group sees themselves as a connected individual, which makes them a connected community. For Gen Y, such issues as health care, job security, terrorism, and debt make up the whole of who they are, just as much as their spiritual journey.
If you like to read more about Gen Y's thoughts concerning social issues, politics, and the current topics of the day, here are a few articles that a friend sent me. Business Week has a great write up on young adults and what concerns them the most today. Another article on The Hill reports on "Gen X and Gen Y Heading for Congress in November." These young people make up a generation that wants to change the wrongs in their world and is driven by social action. Though they may not picket the streets, they are a generation of doers. How we as the Church tap into this quality of theirs will determine much of what the Church will look like in the 21st Century.
Most high school students are just beginning to grapple with issues related to government and economics, since they usually start taking these subjects in their senior year. By the time they are heading to college, most have some opinion about politics and some will be a part of the political process, whether through campus organizations or by some other means.
This year's candidates are recruiting heavily among young people, and many are trying to be candidates of "change," which resonates deeply with college age. Understanding how and why a younger generation becomes involved with politics can be a doorway into seeing the social landscape for a future generation. Churches should take note of young people as a whole and not put them into "compartments." We still need to reach and meet spiritual aspirations of younger generations, but this group sees themselves as a connected individual, which makes them a connected community. For Gen Y, such issues as health care, job security, terrorism, and debt make up the whole of who they are, just as much as their spiritual journey.
If you like to read more about Gen Y's thoughts concerning social issues, politics, and the current topics of the day, here are a few articles that a friend sent me. Business Week has a great write up on young adults and what concerns them the most today. Another article on The Hill reports on "Gen X and Gen Y Heading for Congress in November." These young people make up a generation that wants to change the wrongs in their world and is driven by social action. Though they may not picket the streets, they are a generation of doers. How we as the Church tap into this quality of theirs will determine much of what the Church will look like in the 21st Century.
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on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 4:30 AM.
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Bob! here's a comment for you. Interesting read on the views on politics. Yeah, it seems young people are either completely apathetic and tired of "politics" or they are very active and very engaged in wanting to change the course that has been charted before them (although, maybe not in a typical political way).
Hmm, on a similar topic, I was saddened as I watched the state of the union address to observe such dis-unity. It seemed much more obvious to me this year than in the past.
I'd be interested to here/read your thoughts on the SOTU address...if you have any.
See you in March? NYC!
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