The “Problem of Generations” Revisited: Karl Mannheim and the Sociology of Knowledge in International Relations

Abstract

K arl Mannheim is a ubiquitous reference in scholarly work on generations, yet the usefulness of his essay “The Problem of Generations” as a basis for social scientific research is highly contested. 2 For some, it is an “undervalued legacy,” one that demonstrates the importance of generations in social life and offers invaluable guidance to their proper conceptualization. 3 But for others, Mannheim fails to define the generation with any great precision. He thus conflates the impact of generations with age- and cohort-effects, 4 leaving underspecified the links between generations and other social factors, including class. 5 Political scientists have also shown that generational membership and generational shifts do not always predict political views with great accuracy, placing further doubt on the appropriateness of a generational account of political change. 6 As a result, while he is widely acknowledged as the father of generational analysis, Mannheim’s essay is frequently cited, but just as frequently ignored. 7 These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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