Ageism or Agism

“Ageism, or agism, is a prejudice or discrimination against an individual or group in society on the basis of one's conception of age. A prejudice is a preconceived mentality, judgement, or opinion that may have no reason nor basis. Discrimination is the expression of prejudice resulting in differential treatment of different groups or individuals in society. This may include unjust behaviors, actions, language(s) and degrading terms, or limitations restricting another's rights. A person who participates in and supports ageism is called an ageist.” (Tse) How we view the older people of your society in America is unique. The thought of changing our current lives and aging frightens us. We fear getting old, from face-lifts and tummy tucks, to “ageless makeup, we work tirelessly to set the clock back. Everything from our TV shows to our movies and music display a growing need for youthfulness, a fear or aging and death. This is so very different from many other cultures around the world, who respect their elders, viewing them as the basis of wisdom of the years gone by. These views that older people are less important and a bother lead to ageism running rampant though society. “Whether images of aging are based on personal views, or collaborative views generated from societal influence, the fact is, aging is generally perceived as a less than desirable inevitability. Aging is not only seen as being "one step closer to death", but it is traditionally associated with images of physical illness, senility and helplessness. However, in truth, the elderly are a vastly diverse group of individuals that cannot be so easily classified. In terms of the elderly population's mental and physical health, as well as their economic resources and their social lives, there is no universal label that can be applied; members of the senior class are just as diverse as any subgroup that exists in any given population. On a similar note, age-related changes differ greatly from one

References: The Effects of Ageism. (n.d.). Retrieved from Essortment database. http://www.essortment.com/effects-ageism-35572.html Tate, A. (n.d.). Ageism and the Elderly. Retrieved from Yahoo database. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2664339/ageism_and_the_elderly.html?cat=4 Tse, S. (2011, June 4). Ageism Discrimination Against Age. Retrieved from Google database. http://knol.google.com/k/ageism# Webb, D. (2009, January 11). Ageism and the Elderly. Retrieved from The Bear Hug Waltz database. http://www.thebearhugwaltz.com/2009/12/ageism-and-elderly.html