Generational order: troubles with a ‘travelling concept’

Abstract

This brief comment on Samantha Punch's paper first recalls the theoretical context in which the notions ‘generational order’ and ‘generationing’ emerged. It is then suggested that their uneven use both in childhood research and elsewhere is centrally related to inadequate consideration of ontological and methodological issues involved in cross-theory and cross-context adaption of ‘travelling concepts’.