The Next 25 Years of Malaysian Society [2015-2040]
Shamim Zia, MBA
American Skills Training and Team Building Asia, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
History is a series of generational cycles which includes various seasons, which were first introduced by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1991. They brought the concept of a symbiotic relationship between history and generations which reveals itself in a four-stage cycle called turnings.
Each turning last about twenty years each where people change how they feel about their nation, culture, themselves, and the future. These generational cycles are also identified in various developing countries.
These seasons spanning roughly twenty years are called the High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis eras. Malaysia has a rich history and its own generational cycle. The current generations within this cycle include the Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, Millenials, and Generation 2000 (people born after
2000). We examined the political, economic, and social conditions of each era in history and how they changed as they moved to the next season of the cycle. The results suggest Malaysia will be witnessing their Crisis era in a few years however its citizens will be going through a revival.
Keywords: Malaysia, Generations, History, Culture, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millenials, and Team Building
1. Introduction
In 1991 authors William Strauss and Neil Howe introduced their concept of recurring generational cycles in American history. The authors also examined generational trends elsewhere in the world and identified similar cycles in several developed countries. Strauss and Howe discovered a pattern of generational events called turnings which identify the mood during one particular era lasting around 20 years. Twenty years is the number where the next generation enters the workforce and affects change in society. Four turnings lead to one
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