The validity of Strauss-Howe Generational Theory in China
People can be divided into separate groups according to distinct types of generation. The
development of generation is very interesting, and it has been studied for a long time. Experts
studied different types of generation, sparing no efforts to find the rules between generations.
However, many of them failed. Their failure made them believe that that it is impossible for human
being to find the law of generational development. Surprisingly, a theory seemingly reasonable
appeared in 1991. It is proposed by two American authors, Strauss and Howe. This theory is called
Strauss-Howe Generational Theory. It claims that US generations generally confirm a repetitive
cycle which contains four turnings: High, Awakening, Unravelling, and Crisis. This theory works well
in US for there is evidence to prove it. It also confirms Chinese generations though some people
question its validity. This paper will demonstrate that the theory is valid in current China by using
the interviews conducted. The interviewee one is a fifty-year-old mother. According to the
interview, she belongs to the Awakening, one turning included in the Strauss-Howe Generational
Theory. The second interviewee is James, an eighteen-year-old teenager. From the interview, he
belongs to the Unravelling, one turning which makes up four turnings of Strauss-Howe
Generational Theory. The third interviewee is a seventy-year-old grandmother. From the interviews,
Strauss-Howe Generational Theory does work in China.
To start with, the interview to a fifty-year-old mother reveals that the Awakening turning does exist
in China. The first question my mother is asked is the presence of true love. She puts forward
that true love happens who two people are able to consider another one’s feeling. Therefore,
people should consider others’ feelings and try their best to forgive others in order to get true love.
This shows that my mother has growing spiritual autonomy, which is one of the characteristics for
the Awakening turning. Another question for my mother is her attitude toward the government’s
decisions. She contends that in the past several decades our government has made many decisive
and efficient decisions, like reform and opening up, helping the poor, and the "Belt and Road".
However, she also mentions some problems government does not solve and gives suggestions to
solve it. One problem she points out is related to the genetically edited babies. According to my
mother, the punishment for He is too slight and cannot warn others. She suggests that the
government should revise the law so that people who change the genes of people will obtain
serious punishment. Her answer shows that she is loyal to the society, but want to improve it at
the same time. This is also a main characteristic of the Awakening turning. Based on the interview,
my mother belongs to the Awakening turning, which supports the existence of Awakening in China.
Second, the interview of James indicates that China has the Unravelling turning. When I ask his
hobbies, he told me he likes playing basketball. Being asked a follow-up question, he states that he
does not like to share the ball with others when he is playing basketball. Instead, he prefers to
shoot the ball or get to the basketball by himself. Another question he is required to answer is the
usage of gift money given by his parents. He puts forth that he will use the gift money to buy things
he want, like a switch or a sweat suit. He is unlikely to consider buying gifts for his parents. When
it comes to a question about the choice of payment application, he puts forward that Alipay is the
best choice. The reason is that he is able to get some money if he uses it to pay. What is more, he
is able to get a red packet from that application on New Year’s Day. His answers to the questions
prove that he is self-centered and he concerns the money, which are features of the Unravelling
turning. Indicated by the interview, James belongs to the Unravelling turning, which champions the
presence of Unravelling in China.
On top of that, the interview of a seventy-year-old grandmother implies that the High turning can
be found in China. One of the questions she needs to answer is the comparison of solving question
individually and collectively. She answers that overcoming difficulties with other people is more
efficient since people have different ways of thinking, which makes finding the solutions more
easily. After answering this question, she is required to state her preference of working. According
to her, working in a group is more acceptable as the tasks can be finished more quickly and
efficiently. She takes picking corns as an example. When a person picks corns alone, the time it
takes to pick all of the corns is longer than picking corns with others. From these responses she,
has high communality, which is one major characteristic of High turning. After that, she is asked to
answer a question related to the education on her children. She claims that it is pivotal to teach
children to be patriotic. From this response, she has high loyalty, which is one feature of High
turning. From the information obtained from the interview, the seventy-year-old grandmother
belongs to the High turning, which proves that High turning exits in China.
In conclusion, Strauss-Howe Generational Theory works in China. From the results of interview of
a fifty-year-old mother, the Awakening turning does exist in China. According to the outcomes of
the interview to a teenager, China has the Unravelling turning. Using the results from the interview
of a seventy-year-old grandmother, the High turning is present in China. Admittedly, my study has
some limitations and need future research to support. According to the interviews, China has the
High, Awakening, and Unravelling turning. Thus, it is likely that it also has the Crisis turning. Some
people’s personal features match the characteristics of the turnings well. Lots of characteristics
Chinese people have correspond to the four turnings’ features. The theory is not perfect, but it is
very helpful.