Powerful article which challenged my ageist prejudice linking it to western pejorative view of aging and death.
Image credits: DJ Witka playing in a club. Photo by Magda Weidner
"As we begin to shed light on the causes and consequences of age prejudice, we can start to devise ways to reduce age stereotyping, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all older adults." (Nelson, 2011, p.1)
Below, I will summarize the content of the article in bullet points:
History: Traditionally elders of the family were seen as a source of knowledge. Printing press and industrial revolution changed their status and perceived value. As older people started to be perceived as not competitive workers their status declined.
Fear of death and fear of aging as the underlying incentive to reproduce negative feelings towards elders in the West. However, "In Eastern cultures, the self, life, and death are all interconnected within the person. Death, in this view, is not something that is feared. Rather, it is seen as a welcome relief from life’s travails." (Nelson, 2011, p. 39) Study shows that under the influence of the West and turning away from the traditional believes the perception of aging is also undergoing change in the Easter cultures.
Terror Management Theory is a theory which proposes that self esteem protects us from anxiety linked to death. It is created and sustained through culture and religion, which potentially give meaning and order to our lives.
Institutionalization of Ageism in US: portrayal of older people in film, books, greeting cards, plastic surgery further enhances negative feelings towards aging and death.
Devaluing the older person through speech: baby talk and overaccommodation. Highly functioning older people perceive it as offensive, whereas people with deficiencies find it comforting.
Ageist attitudes are also commonly found among health care professionals working with older people.
Being retired from work has a traumatic effect on many older people. If workplaces could be adjusted to accommodate older people they would benefit from their wisdom and experience.
Reinforcing the view that "elders should be respected, not pitied "(Nelson, 2011, p. 45). in education and media as way to change ageist stereotypes.
References: Nelson, T. D. (2011). Ageism: The strange case of prejudice against the older you. In R. L. Wiener, & S. L. Willborn (Eds.), Disability and aging discrimination (pp. 37-47). Springer.
Comments