Although Generation X has been defined as broadly as those born between 1956 and 1981, for the purposes of APATHY, the Gen X Musical, we define it as those born between 1965 and 1980.  Below is some literature on the generation.

What is Generation X?                                                wiseGEEk.com

Generation X Reading
As selected by The Show Goes On Productions

Generation X
Wikipedia.org

Generation X: Declaring their Independence
Law Practice Today

"Coaching Generation X"
CoachingandMentoring.com

What is Generation X?

While the term Generation X can be used to describe a wide group of people, it has come to be popularly accepted that members of this generation, wrought in the shadow of the Baby Boomers, felt alienated and disenfranchised by the cultural icons of the time. “X” described the lack of identity that members of Generation X felt — they didn’t know where they belonged, but knew for sure that they weren’t a part of the overbearing generation of Baby Boomers. The media played its part in promoting the Generation X stereotype by portraying them as grunge-listening, Starbucks-drinking, flannel-donning slackers who were quietly revolting against their overachieving, conservative Baby Boomer parents or older siblings. While Gen-Xers probably feel passionate about some things, in general they have been portrayed as apathetic, disaffected twentysomethings with no course in life.

Writer Jane Deverson was the first known person to use the term Generation X in 1964. In a study of British teenagers for Women’s Own magazine, she came across a group of teenagers who were living outside of acceptable conservative mores by sleeping around, rejecting religion and disobeying their parents. When this group was rejected for use in the magazine, she co-authored a book with Charles Hamblett called Generation X.

The idea of Generation X exists in many other cultures around the world. In France, people of a similar age are labeled, Génération Bof, translated to “Generation Whatever.” Why Generation X feels as it does is another question. Many believe that the transition from colonialism to globalism and the relative safety many Americans enjoyed after World War II had an effect. Gen-Xers’ parents had marched for equal rights and felt the impact of Kennedy’s assassination, possibly giving them a stronger sense of social responsibility. Skyrocketing costs in housing and education in the 1980s and 90s, coupled with intense competition from overachieving Baby Boomers, may also have alienated Gen-Xers.

Generation X Reading

X Saves the World  
 By Jeff Gordinier


From The Nation:
In his book, Gordinier points to a generational legacy of a distinctive brand of political humor that blends angry idealism with a studied disdain for ideology and partisanship--exactly the kind that's gone mainstream with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. 

 

Welcome to the Jungle: The Why Behind "Generation X"          
By Geoffrey T. Holtz

 “[This book] is the story of everyone born during America’s sweeping transformation from a country that valued families into one that saw kids as a burden on parents, pocketbooks, and the planet.  It’s the story of the advent of the Pill, Proposition 13, and the Open Classroom; skyrocking divorce rates (and, along with them, mushrooming theories about how kids should deal with their parent’ separation); the unprecedented decrease in government spending for programs for the young (and increase in spending for the elderly), and numerous other ‘great experiments’: carried out on America’s youth during a particular- and peculiar – slice of history.”  

Generation X
A novel by Douglas Coupland

 Reader Response in Guardian Book Club, by John Mullan:
"Generation X did sum up quite a lot of what I felt about being a child of the 60s generation - our flower-children parents got to protest against nuclear power and Vietnam, we were too late to have a reason to drop out."

Generation X

Cited from Wikipedia.org

Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the baby boom , with earliest birth dates used by researchers ranging from 1961 to the latest 1981.
Individuals considered to be within Generation X were born, and grew up during the later years of, and in the decade following the Vietnam War.

They are most often linked to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Coming of age after the Vietnam War had ended, their political experiences and cultural perspective were shaped by the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall. Growing up in an historical span of relative geopolitical peace for the US, this generation saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of videogames, and the Internet as a tool for social and commercial purposes. Other attributes identified with this demographic are Dot-com businesses, Desert Storm, 80's rock, such as Van Halen and Bon Jovi, death metal, grunge and hip hop culture and punk rock bands such as The Ramones.

The US Census Bureau cites Generation X as statistically holding the highest education levels when looking at age group (bloc): US Census Bureau, in their 2009 Statistical Abstract. (Also see Education Statistics Canada, 2001 Census.) Moreover, in economics, a study (done by Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Urban Institute) challenged the notion that each generation will be better off than the one that preceded it. The study, 'Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream Alive and Well?" focuses on the income of males 30-39 in 2004 (those born April, 1964 – March, 1974) and is based on Census/BLS CPS March supplement data.

The study, which was released on May 25, 2007, emphasized that in real dollars, this generation's men made less (by 12%) than their fathers had at that same age in 1974, thus reversing a historical trend. The study also suggests that per year increases in the portion of father/son family household income generated by fathers/sons have slowed (from an average of 0.9% to 0.3%), barely keeping pace with inflation, though increases in overall father/son family household income are progressively higher each year because more women are entering the workplace, contributing to family household income.
ended

Generation X: Declaring their Independence

The 51 million members of Generation X, born between 1965 and 1976, grew up in a very different world than previous generations. Divorce and working moms created "latchkey" kids out of many in this generation. This led to traits of independence, resilience and adaptability. Generation X feels strongly that "I don't need someone looking over my shoulder."

Generation X saw their parents get laid off or face job insecurity. Many of them also entered the workplace in the early '80s, when the economy was in a downturn. Because of these factors, they've redefined loyalty. Instead of remaining loyal to their company, they have a commitment to their work, to the team they work with, and the boss they work for.

Even more so than Baby Boomers, members of Generation X dislike authority and rigid work requirements. An effective mentoring relationship with them must be as hands-off as possible. Providing feedback on their performance should play a big part, as should encouraging their creativity and initiative to find new ways to get tasks done. As a mentor, you'll want Gen Xers to work with you, not for you. Gen Xers work best when they're given the desired outcome and then turned loose to figure out how to achieve it.

"Coaching Generation X"

By Terri Nagle
Affiliate, Center For Coaching & Mentoring, Inc.

The need to understand differences is especially apparent in the ongoing conflict between Baby Boomers and Generation X.

Generation X won't do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organization. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don't trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is a thing you do to have a life (work doesn't define their life).

Because they won't put in long hours at what they mostly term "dead end" jobs (Douglas Coupland coined the term "Mcjobs,") and they don't exhibit the same loyalty as Boomers do towards an organization, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work very hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. In a l995 survey, Babson College Professor Paul Reynolds found that "10% of Americans between the ages of 25-34 are actively involved in creating a start-up company, a rate about three times as high as any other age group...it should help dispel once and for all the myth that today's youth are motivationally challenged." (U.S. News and World Report, September 23, 1996)

Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships. Although there doesn't seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don't like to be characterized (as I'm doing in this article!). They don't want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn't this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need?

Freedom to Manage Time and Work. Xers don't want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they're doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own.

Feedback and Recognition. On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. They may be searching for what was missing when they were growing up. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. Employee of the month doesn't do anything for them.

The characteristics for which Generation X has received such bad press are the very qualities that make them valuable. We say we want an empowered work force...give Xers the ball and they will run with it...we want a self-directed work force...these workers have been self directed from a very young age...we want computer literacy...Generation X comes out on top...we want flexible, adaptable workers-right on again.