Normative history graded influences are historical events that affect almost all of the people born in a particular time period. Whenever a historical event of major importance occurs, it is expected that it has an influence on the majority of the people (cohort) of that time period.
Since the event affects a majority of the population it is called a normative influence. Events that do not affect a majority of the population are called non normative influences.
Some examples of normative history graded influences:
1. The most recent example of a normative history graded influence would be the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which has engulfed the world in 2019. The outbreak is already affecting the work culture such as a rise in work-from-home jobs. As a historical event, it is sure to have a great impact on people’s lives.
2. Generally speaking, pandemics are one example of normative history-graded influences because they are bound to have an adverse effect on the people of that historical example. The Spanish flu of 1918 would be one example of such a pandemic.
3. Historical events such as war leave an indelible mark on the psyche of the people who undergo hardships due to war. The experiences of the generation who lived and fought during the World Wars would be remarkably different from the current generation.
4. Environmental disasters such as floods, volcano eruptions, etc. can also have an adverse impact on the lives of people who live through them.
Other kinds of graded influences:
- Normative age graded influences are the experiences which people have due to their age.
- Normative socio-cultural influences refer to the culture and society which inevitably have an influence on the life of the individual.
