Generational influence - a discussion

Please join us in the Meeting Room in the Storyhouse Library for a discussion on generational influence (please read more below).

Space is limited so please make sure you RSVP.

What makes us who we are? Is it our personal choices, or are we, to a large extent, shaped by the people who came before us? Our parents, teachers, neighbours, and relatives—many of whom belong to earlier generations—play a central role in our development. Their ideas, values, and ways of life become the cultural blueprint we often follow, consciously or not.

But were they ready for the responsibility they carried? Were they aware of the influence they would have—not only on their own children but on the entire shape of future society? And in turn, who influenced them? These chains of influence stretch back further than we often recognise.
Did they make mistakes? Were they themselves formed by errors and assumptions passed down to them without question? Did they grow into responsible adults despite those inherited burdens—or because of them? Were they just as bewildered by the pace of change as we are now?
This month, we’ll explore the layered and often complex relationships between generations. We'll ask how values, beliefs, and behaviours are transmitted—and whether each generation alters the chain or merely repeats it. How do historical moments, shifting norms, and societal pressures affect this transmission?
And most importantly: how should we, as individuals today, reflect on the legacy we’re creating? As we examine generational influences, let’s look critically and openly at how we’re shaping the next generation—and ask, without defensiveness: “What have we done to our kids?”

The event is free to attend though a donation may be requested (suggested donation £5).