By Alison Lobron

A recent MassINC research report on the attitudes of young adults indicated they love their employers but don’t have a lot of confidence in state government.

This finding is not surprising, given how central work is for an age group that may not yet have spouses or families, and it’s particularly not surprising for 20- and 30-somethings who have lived in multiple states and cities. In my Real Talk column in the fall issue of CommonWealth, I discuss my generation’s tendency to be more loyal to, and identified with, corporate brands (think Starbucks or Apple computers or even the Red Sox) than with any civic community.

Not long after I penned the piece, the stock market tanked. So now I’m wondering what the financial turmoil means: Will we be even more likely to embrace corporations in lieu of communities, and burrow that much deeper into our no-longer-secure jobs? Or will we get angry enough about corporate shenanigans that we look elsewhere for our sense of identity, validation, and community?

On Oct. 30, there’s an opportunity in Boston to pursue this line of thought. Go here for details.