Side by Side: GenerationsA 1974-1979 survey of families in the Chicago area asked family members which objects in the home were considered special. The most frequently mentioned items are listed below by generations.
| Children: 1. Stereos 2. TV 3. Furniture 4. Musical Instruments 5. Beds 6. Pets |
Parents: 1. Furniture 2. Visual Art 3. Sculpture 4. Books 5. Musical Instruments 6. Photographs |
Grandparents: 1. Photographs 2. Furniture 3. Books 4. TV 5. Visual Art 6. Plates |
In general, children cherished items that invite physical interaction. Grandparents cherished items that encourage reflection. Parents chose items, in almost equal numbers, that invite either action or reflection.
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Three Illinois teenagers in 1990 share the following thoughts about their rooms. | 35  |
![Button Bar [8k]](/exhibits/athome/images/1950/buttonbar-h-1950-32.gif)
© Illinois State Museum 27-Nov-96