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Illene C. Noppe
GENERATION GAP
The term ‘‘generation gap,’’ which came into popular
and scholarly use during the late 1960s and early
1970s, refers to differences in values of older and
younger generations. Initially, it was thought that ad-
olescents needed to express opinions and internalize
value systems that were distinct from their parents’ to
individuate successfully and create separate identi-
ties. But parents often do not perceive striking dis-
similarities between their own values and those of
their offspring, in part because of their need to feel
connected to their children. Although it is possible to
contrast the political ideology and consumer behav-
iors of cohorts of parents and adolescents in a society,
typically few differences exist when comparing the
values of older and younger generations within a fam-
ily line. Contrary to the prediction that the genera-
tion gap promotes identity achievement, adolescents
report a weaker sense of personal identity when they
view family life differently from their parents.
See also: ERIKSON, ERIK; GRANDPARENTS
Bibliography
Bengston, V. L. ‘‘The Generation Gap.’’ Youth and Society Vol. 2
(1970):7–32.
Fiese, Barbara H. ‘‘Dimensions of Family Rituals across Two Gen-
erations: Relation to Adolescent Identity.’’ Family Process Vol.
31 (1992):151–162.
Lynott, P. P., and R. Roberts. ‘‘The Developmental Stake Hypothe-
sis and Changing Perceptions of Intergenerational Relations,
1971–1985.’’ The Gerontologist Vol. 37 (1997):394–405.
Mead, Margaret. Culture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation
Gap. New York: Basic Books, 1970.
Barbara H. Fiese
Julie PoehlmannGENETIC COUNSELING
Genetic counseling is the professional guidance and
education of individuals, families, or potential par-
ents in matters concerning diseases with a genetic
component. The process involves a trained genetic
counselor who reviews medical records, collects a
family history of genetic disorders in relatives, and in-
vestigates the scientific literature for known genetic
causes. The Human Genome Project has supported
the identification of the causes and the development
of diagnostic tests for many birth defects. Parents at
risk of having children with particular birth defects
are those who have previously had affected children
or those with affected relatives. For birth defects with
a known genetic etiology a genetic counselor may sug-
gest prenatal genetic testing, which can identify af-
fected offspring prenatally from parents at risk of
having children with particular birth defects. The ge-
netic counselor will analyze the results of genetic test-
ing and advise the potential parents of the probability
of having affected children. The counselor will also
explain the alternatives for dealing with the risk of oc-
currence and provide options for alternative courses
of action. Genetic counseling can aid in decreasing
the number of children with genetic disorders by pro-
viding at-risk parents alternatives that will allow them
to have children without particular birth defects.
Counseling also helps parents cope with the emotion-
al, social, and economic consequences of genetic dis-
ease.
See also: BIRTH DEFECTS; HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
Bibliography
National Human Genome Research Institute. ‘‘Information for Pa-
tients and Families.’’ Available from http://www.nhgri.
nih.gov/Policy_and_public_affairs/Communications/
Patients_and_families/; INTERNET.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ‘‘Genetic Counseling.’’ Available
from http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/medicine/genecounseling.
html; INTERNET.
David W. Threadgill
Robert E. BoykinGENETIC COUNSELING 165