Ageism Essay Examples
For a long time, there has been many forms of prejudice and discrimination in the United States of America. With the increasing proportion of the aging population, comes another form of discrimination—Ageism. Ageism is mainly experienced by seniors and older adults in various ways. Most of which, make fun of their mental or physical state. Not only does this disrespect them as individuals, but this also negatively affect their quality of life. It aims to label elderly citizens as people who are less valuable and less visible. As Cartensen stated, “The challenge today is to build a world that is just as responsive to the needs of very old people as to the very young” (The Aging Networks, 2011). Though it is prominent, there are many institutions and programs out there that try to combat ageism.
Defining Ageism In order to understand how ageism is created, stereotyping must be considered. Stereotyping is a” well-learned set of associations that link a set of characteristics with a group” (Medicine.Jrank.org). It may vary from culture to culture, but most of which are acquired through …show more content…
socialization. Ageism, as mentioned beforehand, is a form of discrimination towards people, primarily because they are old. It can manifest as several trifling behaviors and choices that can, altogether, have an effect in their lives. Ageism is just like sexism or racism where the elderly people are treated differently because of stereotypes (Medicine.Jrank.org). Yes, stereotypes also play a key role in ageism, mostly because of how societies view the old. Stereotypes of the elderly vary based on their old age, however, all of which are still discriminatory. These stereotypes simply integrate themselves into societal “norms” and beliefs and many people simply accept them. In 2011, the average life expectancy of people ages 65 has increased by an additional 19.2 years (Foster, 2016, 4). Over twenty percent of these older individuals are expected to account for the American population by 2020 (Foster, 2016, 3). This indicates that people are living a lot longer than they have been in the past. What this also leads to is questions such as what to do after retirement, or what to do in their leisure time, or if they should continue to work. There are some aspects that needs to be considered. For example, there may be a job opening, but the employer prefers someone who is young and energetic, rather than someone who is “old” and less energetic. This is a simple example of ageism.
Effects of Ageism
Ageism could almost be defined as a disease or sickness, because it has the capability to negatively affect the mental and physical health status of older Americans. According to the American Psychological Association, “660 people 50 years and older, those with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of aging” (apa.org). This indicates that those who were not been exposed to negative stereotypes had a higher self-esteem and a positive outlook in life, thereby prolonging their lives. In many cases, some develop, in a worst case scenario, some type of psychological disorder such as depression. An elderly named Robert reported that he and his peers were “portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving” (apa.org), whereas it was actually quite the opposite.
Personal and Institutional Ageism Before we dive into the various types of ageism, it is important to know where these misconceptions and stereotypes began. Each and every misconception of the elderly citizens vary depending on the time, place, culture, religion, etc. In America’s case, many different ways ageism can come about such as social media, television, and commercial advertisements. For instance, comedians often joke about elderly people and memory loss. Many young people mock them for walking slow, or just slow in general. Advertisements often show seniors as outdated, or someone who does not know about current technologies and culture. According to a study of people older than 60, it was reported that about 80 percent of them said that they had experienced some form of ageism (apa.org). Many stated that people assumed they had some sort of physical or memory disability because of their age, which can be very heartbreaking, especially for those who are more sensitive than others. There are four main types of ageism: personal, intentional, unintentional, and institutional (Psychology of Aging 101). Many elderly citizens face age discrimination at work. Although, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only outlaws age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older, this does not necessarily stop them from hiring someone who is younger or may seem more capable than someone who is older. This is known as personal ageism, which is a person’s belief, ideals, and attitudes that are discriminating towards older people. In intentional ageism, some less regulated parts of the nation may deny employment when they employ as age-biased. For example, some hospital emergency room employees “are reluctant to treat an older adult [and] often label them as GOMERs (‘get out of my emergency room’)” (Psychology of Aging 101). In unintentional ageism, however, it is rather a type of subconscious event. For instance, a group of older adults may decide to reside with a group of younger people, however there are no rails, ramps, or elevators for them to use. This was not purposely done or planned, but rather, an unintentional form of ageism. The last main form of elderly discrimination is institutional ageism.
It is when institutions create policies that discriminate against older people” (Psychology of Aging 101). A prominent example of this can be seen in Japan where public institutions failed to keep track of where centenarians lived. As a result, many elderly citizens were not provided the necessary medical and psychological services. In the United States, however, institutional ageism often happens in nursing care homes. Elderly residents are often abused or neglected by staff, which is more likely if the patient is a frequent complainer or has dementia (Psychology of Aging). There are various types of elderly abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, and financial. Statistics show in adults over the age of 60, that “1 out of every 10 people experience abuse, including neglect and exploitation”
(cdc.gov). In order to reduce and avoid such pitfalls, the Title VII, Section 721 that began in 1987 aimed to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of an elderly individual (The Aging Networks, 2011). Furthermore, the Administration on Aging (AoA) even offers guidance at a national level to establish programs to prevent them. The program’s main purpose is to train and educate health-care providers, law enforcement, and to raise public awareness. Though it has just been a couple of decades since these types of programs have started, there has been new ways to prevent and combat ageism.
Defining Ageism In order to understand how ageism is created, stereotyping must be considered. Stereotyping is a” well-learned set of associations that link a set of characteristics with a group” (Medicine.Jrank.org). It may vary from culture to culture, but most of which are acquired through …show more content…
socialization. Ageism, as mentioned beforehand, is a form of discrimination towards people, primarily because they are old. It can manifest as several trifling behaviors and choices that can, altogether, have an effect in their lives. Ageism is just like sexism or racism where the elderly people are treated differently because of stereotypes (Medicine.Jrank.org). Yes, stereotypes also play a key role in ageism, mostly because of how societies view the old. Stereotypes of the elderly vary based on their old age, however, all of which are still discriminatory. These stereotypes simply integrate themselves into societal “norms” and beliefs and many people simply accept them. In 2011, the average life expectancy of people ages 65 has increased by an additional 19.2 years (Foster, 2016, 4). Over twenty percent of these older individuals are expected to account for the American population by 2020 (Foster, 2016, 3). This indicates that people are living a lot longer than they have been in the past. What this also leads to is questions such as what to do after retirement, or what to do in their leisure time, or if they should continue to work. There are some aspects that needs to be considered. For example, there may be a job opening, but the employer prefers someone who is young and energetic, rather than someone who is “old” and less energetic. This is a simple example of ageism.
Effects of Ageism
Ageism could almost be defined as a disease or sickness, because it has the capability to negatively affect the mental and physical health status of older Americans. According to the American Psychological Association, “660 people 50 years and older, those with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of aging” (apa.org). This indicates that those who were not been exposed to negative stereotypes had a higher self-esteem and a positive outlook in life, thereby prolonging their lives. In many cases, some develop, in a worst case scenario, some type of psychological disorder such as depression. An elderly named Robert reported that he and his peers were “portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving” (apa.org), whereas it was actually quite the opposite.
Personal and Institutional Ageism Before we dive into the various types of ageism, it is important to know where these misconceptions and stereotypes began. Each and every misconception of the elderly citizens vary depending on the time, place, culture, religion, etc. In America’s case, many different ways ageism can come about such as social media, television, and commercial advertisements. For instance, comedians often joke about elderly people and memory loss. Many young people mock them for walking slow, or just slow in general. Advertisements often show seniors as outdated, or someone who does not know about current technologies and culture. According to a study of people older than 60, it was reported that about 80 percent of them said that they had experienced some form of ageism (apa.org). Many stated that people assumed they had some sort of physical or memory disability because of their age, which can be very heartbreaking, especially for those who are more sensitive than others. There are four main types of ageism: personal, intentional, unintentional, and institutional (Psychology of Aging 101). Many elderly citizens face age discrimination at work. Although, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only outlaws age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older, this does not necessarily stop them from hiring someone who is younger or may seem more capable than someone who is older. This is known as personal ageism, which is a person’s belief, ideals, and attitudes that are discriminating towards older people. In intentional ageism, some less regulated parts of the nation may deny employment when they employ as age-biased. For example, some hospital emergency room employees “are reluctant to treat an older adult [and] often label them as GOMERs (‘get out of my emergency room’)” (Psychology of Aging 101). In unintentional ageism, however, it is rather a type of subconscious event. For instance, a group of older adults may decide to reside with a group of younger people, however there are no rails, ramps, or elevators for them to use. This was not purposely done or planned, but rather, an unintentional form of ageism. The last main form of elderly discrimination is institutional ageism.
It is when institutions create policies that discriminate against older people” (Psychology of Aging 101). A prominent example of this can be seen in Japan where public institutions failed to keep track of where centenarians lived. As a result, many elderly citizens were not provided the necessary medical and psychological services. In the United States, however, institutional ageism often happens in nursing care homes. Elderly residents are often abused or neglected by staff, which is more likely if the patient is a frequent complainer or has dementia (Psychology of Aging). There are various types of elderly abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, and financial. Statistics show in adults over the age of 60, that “1 out of every 10 people experience abuse, including neglect and exploitation”
(cdc.gov). In order to reduce and avoid such pitfalls, the Title VII, Section 721 that began in 1987 aimed to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of an elderly individual (The Aging Networks, 2011). Furthermore, the Administration on Aging (AoA) even offers guidance at a national level to establish programs to prevent them. The program’s main purpose is to train and educate health-care providers, law enforcement, and to raise public awareness. Though it has just been a couple of decades since these types of programs have started, there has been new ways to prevent and combat ageism.