Ageism in Modern Society

Our world today is plagued with various “-isms” that dramatically affect the way we interact with each other: sexism, racism, and classism, to name a few. My generation, the Millenials, has a particular problem with ageism, definable as the age discrimination of other people. As Bill Bytheway puts it, ageism is “the result of ways in which assumptions are made about people having other things in common alongside their chronological age.” (as cited in Hopkins, 2010, p. 3). The dynamic between the young and the old in modern society is contentious at best and hostile at worse, with each side feeling like they know better than the other about how to act and live. I have chosen to explore this problem because I have personally experienced ageism in both the workplace and at home, and wanted to see if it was a far-reaching social problem that simply doesn’t get the kind of coverage that racism and sexism do. In my research, I discovered that the problem is indeed widespread, though the problem is not nearly as widely recognized as racism and sexism are. Discrimination against the elderly is also far more common than I initially realized, having figured until now that the young were discriminated against the most.

Ageism is a complex problem, particularly in the ways it manifests itself. Because ageism comes to the forefront as a result of the disparity between a person’s actions and the actions of their peers, the youth receive a much blunter version of ageism than older people do. In general, young people are seen as more foolhardy, less willing to abide by the rules, and less knowledgeable than their elders. However, there are few groups that contribute as much to the ageism problem than young adults. Research by Popham, Kennison, and Bradley shows that young people not only engage in negative ageism (ignoring the elderly due to their age) more often than positive ageism (complimenting the elderly on their appearance, despite their age), but also that there is a direct correlation amongst young people between harboring ageist attitudes/engaging in ageist behavior and engaging in risky activities like alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and deviant sexual behavior. (Popham, Kennison, and Bradley, 2011) By being ageist themselves, young people create scenarios in which they are more likely to be discriminated against because of their ages. Ageism is more prevalent against the elderly than it is against the young, but it also manifests itself more subtly, with a strange undercurrent of good-natured intention. For instance, as described in Perceptions and Consequences of Ageism, by Victor Minichiello, Jan Browne and Hal Kendig, (2012) “well-meaning people unwittingly speak to older people using benevolent yet patronizing baby talk and demeaning, exaggeratedly slow and loud over accommodation,” which not only fosters the idea that the elderly are unable to understand those younger than them, but also may cause older people to talk, think, and move more slowly due to their accommodated treatment. Although the mainstream media promotes positive portrayals of the elderly more often than negative ones, the negative stereotypes that do present themselves, such as forgetfulness, depression, and illness, are frequently internalized by the elderly. (Minichello et al., 2012)

Within the workplace, ageism is increasingly problematic, for the young and the old alike. Young people are forced to endure unpaid internships more now than ever before, being told that they’re working to build the experience necessary to succeed in the real world when more often than not they are making coffee and copies and engaging in other menial tasks for several hours a day. In the United Kingdom, ageism in the workforce amongst young people is so widespread that even the government has gotten in on it, making it impossible for young workers to receive their full minimum wage compensation until they’ve reached age 21. As Sargeant explains, “there is an apparent justification that by reducing the rights of young workers, one can help them become more attractive to employers.” (2013)

While the youth of the workforce are generalized and discriminated against for little to no experience, the elder generations of the workforce are discriminated against not for having too much experience but because younger generations feel they cannot adapt. According to Minichelloet al.’s research, “studies related to ageism have generally explained how the attitudes and beliefs of younger people contribute to denying older people opportunities and equitable treatment.” (2000). Older workers, often those who have been a part of a company’s initial success, could be viewed as marginal or inadaptable with the company decides to change marketing directions to target a younger audience, or perhaps to bolster their online presence. Older workers are then forced to retire early or gradually step down, with their responsibilities decreased. Minichiello and his co-authors also cite health studies that explored how negative misconceptions about aging can affect the aging process. Those in the health and social work fields often treat older clients and patients much differently. Oncology nurses often do not spend as much time with older patients than they do with younger ones. Therapists often choose not to use full psychological and therapeutic methods when treating an older person as with treating a younger one (2000).

Minichiello and his colleagues conducted an ageism study involving 18 people ages 65-89 in Australia. The subjects identified two aspects of aging that have become a social issue, ‘being treated old’ and ‘being seen as old.’ To combat society’s adverse relationship to ageism, the subjects said that to fight it, one could do many different things such as “describing oneself as having a positive attitude, not looking old, not acting old, portraying the self as intellectually developing, while those who are old are not trying to be mentally challenged; being fit and active compared to those who are ‘old’ and sedentary.’ Results of this study revealed that those who are older are acutely aware that they are aging, but do not see themselves as the stereotypical old person (2000).

I feel that the literature should explore ageism from the youth perspective more. While researching I came across many articles describing the travesty of ageism in the workforce as it relates to the older population but not nearly as much for the younger generation. Many social media news outlets have latched onto the generalization that millennials as a whole have been viewed differently by almost all previous generations. They are often stereotyped as lazy, with the biggest complaint being that they feel the world owes them jobs and quick advancements due to the over-coddling on behalf of their parents when they were children. Other misconceptions include millennials believing they are special in some way, therefore making them view themselves as “too good” for the tasks of entry-level jobs. I would love to see the research explore the concept of millennials in the workplace and the discrimination they face due to stereotypes about their entire generation. It seems to directly relate to how older workers are marginalized by younger generations; however, this treatment doesn’t necessarily have to do with age, but with a generation. The age gap for millennials is great – those born in the 1980s through the early 2000s. Unlike with young ageism, the mistreatment does not stop once one reaches a certain age, but perhaps until the employers get to know the worker and see that the worker doesn’t fir this all-encompassing stereotype. I would love to see the interactions of millennials and employers explored during the early phases of employment and beyond, with further analysis on how each specific generation – Millenials, Generation X, baby boomers, etc. – views the others in a workplace environment. This research would help paint a more comprehensive picture of how the specific generational dynamics of today are at play in society and in the modern workforce.

References

Fiske, S., & North, M. (2012). An inconvenienced youth? Ageism and its potential intergenerational roots. Psychological Bulletin, 138(5), 982-997.

Hopkins, P. (2010). Young people, place and identity. New York, NY: Routledge.

Minichiello, V., Browne, J., & Kendig, H. (2012). Perceptions of ageism: views of older people. In J. Katz, S. Peace, and S. Spurr (Eds.), Adult lives: A life course perspective (pp. 332-340). Bristol: The Policy Press.

Popham, L., Kennison, S., and Bradley, K. (2011). Ageism, sensation-seeking, and risk-taking behavior in young adults. Current Psychology, 30, 184-193

Sargeant, M. (2013). Young people and age discrimination. E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies, 2(1), 1-16. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://adapt.it/EJCLS/index.php/ejcls_adapt/article/view/51/84