Question

Define what ageism is. At what age does it generally begin?

Summarize how ageism in the workplace affects employees?

Define individual and institutional discrimination. How do these apply to ageism?

Answer 1

• Ageism can occur at any point when a person is perceived to be “old.” There is no definite age when ageism officially begins for older adults. Individuals over the age of 80 are usually affected most often, as this is age when physical impairments tend to become more visible.
• The term ageism refers to a deep and profound prejudice against the elderly (Butler). In simple terms, ageism occurs when people stereotype others based on old age. Ageism occurs throughout society in varying degrees, in television, advertising, movies, stores, hospitals, and jobs.
• Ageism is a process of stereotyping and discriminating against people because they are old. From a definitional perspective, ageism is like racism or sexism in that it treats people differently based on stereotypes about a group.
• Ageism appears in many forms. A few examples illustrate how the behavior of an older person is described in an ageist manner, where the same behavior by a younger person is explained without stereotypes. When older people forget someone's name, they are viewed as senile. When a younger person fails to recall a name, we usually say he or she has a faulty memory. When an older person complains about life or a particular incident, they are called cranky and difficult, while a younger person may just be seen as being critical.
• Older people also face stereotypes on the job. The most common stereotypes about older workers are that older workers are less productive, more expensive, less adaptable, and more rigid than younger workers.
• The labor market is one of the systems that perpetuates ageism. Employers, both private and public, engage in age discrimination when they fire older workers or refuse to hire or promote them because of ageist stereotypes. While the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits age discrimination against most job applicants and employees age forty and older, the federal law contains exceptions that permit mandatory retirement of police, fire-fighters, highly paid executives, and state judges.
• An employer might discriminate against employees over 65 in terms of promotions, salary increases and new job opportunities. Such discrimination might be the result of a perception of seniors as dependent and helpless individuals who are demanding and unproductive.
• Although ageism is often thought of as a problem for older employees, on the other side of the coin, younger professionals also experience biases as both a job seeker and employee. Stereotypes of people born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, are causing some companies to be reluctant to hire anyone under 40.
• These attitudes and stereotypes include opinions that young workers are lazy, spoiled, unpredictable, unreliable, and unprofessional. In addition, employers tend to believe that young workers are not loyal and will leave their employer once a better opportunity presents itself. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees 45–54 stayed on the job twice as long as those 25–34.
• Institutional ageism, or “organizational ageism” refers to “discriminatory policies or practices carried out by state or non-state institutions” that are detrimental to older adults.Institutional ageism differs from, but is related to, interpersonal ageism. It involves the inclusion of ageist principles in formal rules and procedures and in wider institutional cultures. It is characterised by language consistently depicting older people in negative terms
• Internalized age stereotypes contribute considerably to ageism both towards oneself and towards others (i.e., self- vs. other-oriented ageism). Young people internalize the predominantly negative societal views of older people, which shape their self-perceptions of ageing as they grow older.