Generational Identity, Values, and Sense of Belonging

In Panama, “Generation Y” was identified at the beginning of this millennium, which was two decades after the first reports of such a generation. However, the overall evolution caused by globalization and digital development generated changes at the collective level in society, as is to be expected. This article aims to provide a look at how Panamanians identified as Generation Y or Millennials express their national identity, values, and sense of belonging. This article presents a descriptive approach performed on the responses to a national survey of a sample of 384 people considered Millennials for the project “Panama’s millennials: sense of belonging and national identity in a globalized society”. The main findings show that this generation is very much in favor of equal rights between men, women, immigrants, and disabled persons; they advocate pro-social issues but show differences regarding the protection of the future. The majority of them disagree with civil society organizations, do not identify with the health system, nor do they recognize quality in the education system or state-sponsored employment-generating activities. They also highlighted imbalances in the implementation of justice and the distribution of the country’s wealth.