Generations of Youth and the Youth Revolution

GENERATIONS OF YOUTH AND THE YOUTH REVOLUTION

Youth is undoubtedly the most dynamic segment of society. When I use the word "youth," I should state from the outset that I am referring to the age group between 15 and 30. Within this 15-year period, three distinct segments—early youth, youth, and late youth—are intertwined, influencing each other and creating a sense of continuity.

Today, the literature discusses Youth Generations. One of these is political, the other economic. I want to address the political generation first.

The mood of youth has varied from country to country. Let's take a look at how the Youth Revolution emerged.

YOUTH IN THE WORLD AND THE 1968 GENERATION

Youth attained its true definition and self-respect with the Cuban Revolution. When Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Raúl Castro launched the Cuban Revolutionary movement in 1953, they were young men aged 24-25. They continued their struggle with determination and succeeded in overthrowing Dictator Batista in 1959. This perhaps marked the first time in human history that youth stepped onto the stage of history. The impact of the Cuban Revolution and Che Guevara's charisma spread in waves across the world, influencing all youth regardless of race or religion: youth could now be a founding force of the state, having a say in the world. The Che Guevara effect quickly shook America and Europe to their foundations. Starting on the campus of Berkeley University near San Francisco, the youth movement, sometimes known as Hippies, sometimes as Black Panthers, first confronted the university administration. For the first time in history, a rector allowed the police to enter the campus and intervene against the rebels. This was a huge mistake. The price was heavy. The Black Panthers set fire to Oakland, the city right next to Berkeley. The demonstrations spilled into the streets. Soon, these events in the American West spread to universities on the East Coast. In a short time, all American youth were on their feet. They did not have the power to overthrow the regime like Che Guevara, but they fundamentally shook the values of American society. The Black-White divide came to the fore, and with the solidarity of youth, the end of discrimination began.

In Europe, especially in France, youth acted almost simultaneously. Students at Sorbonne and Jussieu Universities first confronted the rector. In those years, the streets of Paris were paved with cobblestones. Soon, clashes spilled into the streets. In the demonstrations, youth clashing with the police used cobblestones as weapons. The streets of Paris were filled with piles of stones. The legendary leader De Gaulle was forced to resign. The new government entered into negotiations with the youth. In fact, the youth themselves did not know what they wanted. They seemed to want to shed the burden of centuries, challenging the family, the church, and the state. This was enough for them.

TURKEY AND THE 1968 GENERATION

The youth in Turkey closely followed what was happening in the world. Towards the end of 1967, a stir began among the youth. Youth, which had been nested within establishment parties like the Workers' Party of Turkey (Türkiye İşçi Partisi), suddenly declared its independence. Dozens of associations and illegal parties emerged. Che Guevara's charisma also influenced the youth in Turkey. Dozens of youth movements such as TİKKO, THKO, and Aydınlık were founded. They had one goal: to make a revolution in Turkey, just like in Cuba. They could not make a revolution, but a military coup occurred on March 12, 1971. The charismatic youth of 1968 were eliminated either on the gallows, in clashes in rural areas, or in prisons. Interestingly, the 1968 generation's actions in Turkey were limited to the provinces of Istanbul and Ankara. They did not spread to other regions or did not get a chance to spread.

TURKEY AND THE 1978 GENERATION

This generation, to which I also belong, did not have the real desire or power to make a revolution. This was because the state had balanced the youth with right-left polarization. Universities were occupied by right-wing or left-wing militants. Unlike 1968, youth actions spread throughout Turkey, affecting even the smallest towns. The 1968 generation was idealistic. However, the 1978 generation, feeling the need to defend itself, its most significant action was to idolize the idealistic youth of the 1968 generation, such as Deniz Gezmiş, Mahir Çayan, İbrahim Kaypakkaya, and to hide behind these names.

Dear readers!

After summarizing the political struggle and rise of youth, let's now turn to the second important point: the economic revolution of youth.

X-Y GENERATIONS

Especially scientists in the USA have divided youth into two: GENERATION X and GENERATION Y. Let's first take a look at the main characteristics of GENERATION X:

GENERATION X (BIRTH DATES: THOSE BORN BETWEEN 1968-1980)

• They are skeptical
• They perceive work as a challenge
• They have an entrepreneurial spirit
• They prefer to work their own way, not according to rules.

GENERATION Y (BIRTH DATES: THOSE BORN BETWEEN 1981-2000)

• They are tolerant
• They see work as a means, not an end
• They have a participatory spirit
• They want to work with bright and creative people

The research above summarizes the situation of youth in the USA and Europe. What about the situation in Turkey? I will limit myself to discussing only Generation Y:

GENERATION Y IN TURKEY (THOSE BORN BETWEEN 1981-2000)

• Even if they find jobs, they are not willing to work, or they look for jobs in order not to find one.
• Jealousy and hidden competition are quite strong.
• They are far from creative thinking. (They believe this task belongs to the USA and Europe)
• They are in conflict with family and society.
• They have no plans for the future; they are in deep despair.
• They see education and work life as an unnecessary burden.
• They are individualistic. They lack team spirit, and their performance decreases in participatory environments.
• They can escalate substance use to an exaggerated level.
• They feel self-pity.
• Extraordinary events such as war, earthquakes, etc., in a sense, relieve their minds, giving them a chance to escape self-questioning.
• Very few want to continue their education abroad.
• Their political views are sharp. There is no flexibility.
• They lack an entrepreneurial spirit.
• They avoid low-paying jobs and dream of finding a high-paying job from day one.
• They are not patient.
• They lack ecological sensitivity and love for animals.
• They don't like to work, but they see having the latest model iPhone or, if necessary, a famous brand car as the happiness of their lives.
• The institution of marriage has collapsed. As marriage expectations have risen, marriage at the right age has become impossible, extending into their 40s.

Dear readers!

Our youth is everything to us, but as you can see, the picture is not encouraging. Turkey will experience a YOUTH REVOLUTION, but when?