ageism
- Related Topics:
- aging
- old age
- discrimination
- prejudice
- age differentiation
ageism, the discrimination or expression of prejudice against an individual based on age. Older people are the most common targets of ageism, but younger people can also experience it. Ageism can have a negative impact on a person’s employment, health care, housing, and mental health, as well as on the local and national economy.
The “acceptable” prejudice
Ageism can take many forms. Specifically, there is:
- institutional ageism, which often promotes discrimination against older or younger people through policies and actions;
- interpersonal ageism, in which ageist beliefs are expressed during social interactions;
- internalized ageism, which occurs when a person places ageist beliefs upon themselves.
Social workers and others note that ageism is the last socially acceptable prejudice. Although it is no longer socially acceptable to single out someone because of their sex, nationality, religion, skin color, disability, or physical appearance, society still finds it OK to discriminate against individuals based on age.
In many cases, ageism is the result of ingrained stereotypes or preconceived notions about older people. Among these stereotypes is the belief that all older people are mentally diminished, physically frail, and unable to perform in the modern workplace.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that ageist beliefs can be learned at a very early age and play a significant role in how individuals, as they mature, perceive older adults.
Origin of the term
American psychiatrist Robert Neil Butler coined the term ageism to describe discrimination against the elderly and pioneered improved understanding and treatment. He brought issues of aging into the public eye in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Why Survive?: Being Old in America (1975), which promotes public policies to support the elderly and the development of geriatric study, which had been traditionally marginalized in medical schools. Butler, who was raised by his grandparents, developed an interest in geriatrics while studying at Columbia University, New York City. After having completed his residency, he joined the psychiatric staff at the National Institute of Mental Health. He then served as the founding head (1976–82) of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health and as the founding chairman (1982–90) of the first department of geriatrics at an American medical school, at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City. Butler also established the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (1978), the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association (1980), and the International Longevity Center–USA, New York City (1990), of which he was head at the time of his death. In 1995 he served as chairman of the White House Conference on Aging. Butler’s other books include The Longevity Revolution (2008) and The Longevity Prescription (2010).
Ageism’s impacts
Ageism’s impact on the individual isn’t just emotional or psychological; it can also affect a person’s physical health. For example, the WHO reports that people who experience ageism often struggle with their mental and physical health, recover more slowly from illness or injury, and may die more than seven years earlier than those who are not subject to ageist attitudes.
“Ageism is this odd ‘-ism’ in that it’s still socially acceptable in many ways.” —researcher Joann Montepare
People who experience ageism are also at greater risk of engaging in unhealthful behaviors, including excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, smoking, and illicit drug use, which may be used as a coping mechanism. In addition to the negative personal impact that ageism can have on older adults, age discrimination can have a detrimental effect on all of society. According to the WHO it can divide generations in a significant way, limit the contributions of younger employees, and influence the economy by keeping skilled older workers out of the workplace.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), signed into law in 1967, was the first legislation in the United States to address age discrimination in the workplace. It initially provided protections for workers ages 40 to 65 but extended the maximum age to 70 in 1978 and removed it completely in 1986. Enforcement of the law was first under the Department of Labor but transitioned to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1979. Mandatory retirement at a certain age is still allowed for certain occupations, such as airline pilots, who must retire at age 65.
The 2024 presidential race
Ageism has also entered American politics. The issue of age and mental acuity became a flashpoint during the 2024 presidential election, which pitted two older men—former president Donald Trump, who was 78 on Election Day, and incumbent Joe Biden, who was 81—against each other.
The rematch of the 2020 presidential contest put the topic of age center stage, particularly after a debate performance that raised serious questions about Biden’s physical and mental fitness for the presidency and ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race.
Impact of new research
New research into ageism has led to a change in attitudes regarding its impact on the individual. The American Psychological Association adopted its first resolution on ageism in 2002 and updated it in 2020. That resolution acknowledges the role of age in discrimination, places greater importance on aging in psychology training, and promotes a more positive and less stereotypical public view regarding older adults and the aging process.
One of the most effective ways to tackle stereotypical attitudes toward older people is greater generational contact, researchers say. When younger people spend time with older people and get to know them and their experiences better, their views toward older people often become more positive.
Some types of generational contact, however, can have the opposite effect, such as when younger people visit senior care facilities to provide entertainment or see a loved one. Without institutional context or a personal understanding of the individuals they encounter, such exposure may further ingrain negative thoughts and beliefs about older people.