By Sally Brown, VAN co-chair
When you hear the word “ageism,” what comes to mind? Most likely, you imagine someone who is old. You may have thoughts of the disrespect and inequities that older adults experience as a result of their age. We generally think of ageism in terms of the negative impact on older adults. Yet, ageism affects all of us. It influences our thoughts, feelings and perspectives about people based on their age.
The World Health Organization describes ageism as “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or ourselves based on age.”
It’s hard to escape age-related stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. We routinely categorize people by age: infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, adults, older adults, and old old. These categories often lead to stereotypes and assumptions. We might call toddlers the “terrible twos” or tell children, “you’re too young to understand.” We talk about teenagers as moody or antagonistic. We use sayings and memes like “those millennials” or “OK Boomer” and assume that old people have dementia. We begin learning age stereotypes when we are very young and they are reinforced throughout our lives. The stereotypes affect our perspective and attitudes and can lead to prejudicial and discriminatory practices toward people based on their age.
Ageism is all around us. We practice it ourselves, and it shows up in our families, interpersonal relationships, organizations and institutions.
Ageism is all around us. We practice it ourselves, and it shows up in our families, interpersonal relationships, organizations and institutions. It appears in language, media, humor, and behaviors; in age-segregated activities and environments; and in community policies and practices.
In the workplace, ageism exists for both older and younger people. Young adults might face difficulty entering the workforce — a primary goal in that phase of life. Older adults also face challenges in finding employment and can feel frustrated that their experience isn’t valued. Once hired, younger employees express that their voices and ideas are dismissed, their skills are disregarded, and they are excluded from positions that carry influence and power. Similarly, working older adults feel frustrated that their knowledge and skills are not maximized and suspect they are seen as biding their time until they retire. The impact of ageism on younger and older workers leads to division, resentment and misunderstanding. It can also result in poor job satisfaction.
Ageism can be countered by:
- Increasing personal awareness about ageism and its impact
- Promoting intergenerational relationships and understanding in all settings
- Examining and enacting policies and practices that deter discrimination and bias toward people based on their age.
Confronting the negative impacts of ageism benefits everyone. It clears the way for people to be treated with respect and equity at every age.
New workshop from Aging with Gusto focused on ageism experienced by workers
The Vital Aging Network addresses ageism through its Aging with Gusto programming, which offers both Confronting Ageism workshops and an Aging with Gusto series. Recently, the Aging with Gusto team developed a new workshop focused on the experiences of younger as well as older workers. The goals of the workshop are to:
- Increase awareness of ageism in the workplace
- Encourage more positive views of workers of all ages
- Develop ideas about how to build a more age-inclusive organization
The organization in which we piloted the workshop employs a diverse age group and believes that addressing ageism can lead to people of all ages working better together.
If you are interested in hosting a workshop about ageism, contact us at awg@vital-aging-network.org.