An overview of the inception and impact of ageism on the public: Building the case for including age into intersectional research, discussions, teaching, and applied practice
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
In this presentation the authors define ageism, share an overview of the history of ageism, describe the impact of ageism on individuals and society, and build the case for sociologists and other intersectional scholars to include age in their work. Ageism, which includes prejudice (the way we think), bias (the way we feel), and discrimination (the way we act) based on age, can be directed toward others and ourselves. Unlike other forms of bias, ageism is less entrenched in policies, social institutions, and our intersectional lexicon. Prior to the advent of widespread public health measures such as vaccines and water sanitation processes (i.e., just 100-150 years ago), people were equally likely to die at any age. Young women and infants died in childbirth, people of all ages died of acute infections, accidents at home and work took people's lives. The rarity of living to old age combined with the age-integrated nature of social institutions (including politics, the workforce, and religious institutions, among others) prevented older people from being viewed as a separate group, distinct from younger people, until relatively recently. Advancements in medical science and sanitation reduced (and in some cases, eliminated) earlier life deaths, setting the stage for chronic conditions to become much more common, particularly in later years. The massive gains in life expectancy we have observed in the past 100 years in many societies speak to a huge benefit for most people. Yet, these gains came with an associated corollary that illness and death now tend to be concentrated toward the end of a long life. Enter ageism: this new pattern of old age being associated with illness and death set the stage for human beings to fear and despise old age out of fear of illness (highlighting the intersection of ageism and ableism) and death. So what do we do? Meaningful intergenerational interactions hold promise for eliminating ageism, and fostering such interactions early in life is key. The authors share their tools for introducing young children to age-related concepts early in life and strategies for promoting positive intergenerational interaction. Implementing such tools and strategies helps to prevent the formation of ageism, promotes social connectivity for people of all ages, and ultimately fosters health and well-being across the life course.
