Ageism is a type of social discrimination that manifests itself in the willingness to interact, cooperate and build a certain type of relationship only with those who meet the age criterion. When considering ageism, which is discrimination based on age, it is important to understand that the concept refers not only to one specific individual, but to a certain age group. Not only discrimination, but the general division of society is largely determined by age limits and the division of people according to these indicators. In biology and medicine, this is typical for establishing standards and indicators; in labor legislation, it is directly related to labor productivity and the productivity of brain activity.
The term ageism largely has a negative connotation, despite the existing social divisions of people, since it reflects an aspect that discriminates against some. This is especially evident for older people, whose attitude towards them becomes disdainful precisely as a result of this indicator, and their opinion becomes less significant. It is also common to use the term for teenagers or children whose thoughts, ideas and desires are usually belittled or not taken seriously, also on the basis of ageism.
The history of ageism
This term originated in 1969 thanks to Robert Butler. He was studying the issue of infringement of the rights of people who belonged to a fairly mature category of people. And it comes from the English word age, which translates as age.
Ageism
Robert drew attention to the fact that the needs of older people are not always taken into account. There are a lot of stereotypes towards them, and negative ones at that.
This, so to speak, social phenomenon became more noticeable during the transition of society from industrial to post-industrial, and then to modern, information society. The fact is that in the past, preference was given to a young workforce because it was easier to manage.
Few of the 20-year-old boys and girls could defend their rights. Demand higher wages based on existing experience and skills. And they are faster and more energetic.
Why go far, such examples were all too common in Soviet times. Remember the slogans: “The young are treasured everywhere, the elderly are honored everywhere”?
Think about the meaning of the phrase. It also contains veiled information that fairly mature people should moderate their ambitions and aspirations. Since the road is open only to those who are younger. Therefore, all that remains is to admit that you are not capable of anything else and gratefully accept respect, letting others go ahead.
Even ambulances arrived much later, when they found out how old the patient was. As if there was an unspoken rule, those from whom there is no real benefit, but only waste, cannot save their lives. Let it be as it will be. At that time, if a call came in regarding the health condition of a young man, the car left as quickly as possible.
What it is
The concept of ageism originated from stereotypes, prejudices, and various types of phobias. Thus, the fear of one’s own death can manifest itself in attempts to avoid communication with older people (gerontophobia). Since old people are more associated with death than others, in order to distance their own or not to face difficult existential experiences, fear is not recognized, but is replaced by stereotypical behavior and prejudices regarding judgments about a person. Like any automatic opinion, ageism is not actual and conscious, akin to a defense mechanism of the psyche.
Discussing what ageism is using abstract examples, many find evidence of failure, slowness, stupidity on the part of elders, and see them as a burden. Mechanical thinking stops working if such a discriminator has a close relative of advanced age, who cannot be characterized in this context.
The problem of ageism is possible not only in the direction of older people, but also of young people - this is a familiar conflict of generations, where everyone sees the other as not understanding obvious things and tries to humiliate and justify everything precisely by age criteria. The older generation considers young people uneducated and misunderstanding, stupid and dissolute only because they do not profess their truths and can afford what is now inaccessible to them. As a result, all conflict and discrimination come down not to social issues, but to the personal psychological development of each person. Only by directly examining a person can we talk about his characteristics, but not on the basis of data such as gender, age or race. All this is considered discrimination and the issue of equal rights is raised at the legislative level of states.
The criticism of ageism is that it has two dimensions, i.e. defies logical explanation, the elders criticize the younger ones, and the younger ones criticize the older ones and vice versa. It makes its way not only into moral and ethical relations, but also affects such socially significant areas as work and health. In many vacancies, the age category is already indicated in advance, and these parameters are not always determined by the impossibility of the activity being performed, but sometimes by the stereotypical attitude of the employer and the reluctance to have people of an inconvenient category from his point of view present.
Discrimination ultimately drives a person into an inadequate psychological state for only one reason - society treats him in advance with prejudice, with patterns and stereotypes that do not correspond to the person’s personal state. People may be excluded from certain types of social interaction, for example, not taking older people on active holidays (even if they can in fact give a head start to all young people), forcing younger people to do primitive work (provided that their level of intellectual and basic development of skills is higher than that of the average person).
The most common manifestation of ageism affects medicine, where the patient has no way to resist and in any effective way prove his needs and rights. Ordering additional examinations, diagnosing cancer, modern treatment methods and close attention to conversation are what older people are deprived of. One gets the feeling that they have been written off from all accounts and are only being pushed towards the grave, with no intention of wasting time and nerves.
At the same time, the attitude towards children is the opposite - scrupulous examinations, only the best drugs. We can say that it is due to simple reasons of natural selection, dry logic in the preference for whom to save, but, unfortunately, internal stereotypes play a much larger role. Many complaints can be explained by senile insanity instead of actually conducting an additional survey - this is just a desire to get rid of the person as quickly as possible.
How does ageism manifest itself and appear?
Have you heard of such a concept as psychological age? It is not at all connected with the biological and reflects how a person perceives himself. And also the difference between what he planned and what he managed to translate into reality.
Remember yourself in childhood and adolescence. What did you think about the future, how did you imagine yourself at 25? Most likely, an accomplished owner of a private business. Or that you will already be able to earn money for a car and an apartment on your own. And then, when these cherished 25 years come, it turns out that nothing of what was planned came to fruition.
In addition, thoughts arise that in this life I have already seen everything. In the sense that what should usually happen to people has already happened, for example, a wedding, the birth of children, and so on. That’s when 30-year-olds appear, outwardly young, but internally no longer expecting anything.
They perceive themselves as failures; they failed to achieve success within the set deadlines, and those who succeeded do not know what heights to set next and what to strive for in general. That's when a crisis occurs, which is not so easy to cope with.
Psychological difficulties
With an increase in the number of signs of age, some people may experience worsening anxiety conditions; periods of sadness, apathy, and even depression cannot be ruled out. “Why live if I’m no longer young” is not a rare complaint. In psychology, ageism is not only the desire to elevate oneself by discriminating against someone based on age. It is also a distinct self-hatred if the mirror begins to dispassionately report that a birthday is a sad holiday.
Everything turns out to be closely connected. If you sincerely consider older people to be narrow-minded and inert, believing that they can no longer be interested in something new, love, have fun and have sex, then upon reaching this age, a distinct self-loathing is inevitable.
Examples of ageism
Although there are many examples of how people managed to become famous throughout the world only at a fairly mature age. They seem to refute existing stereotypes. That if you didn’t have time to build a career in your youth, then there is nothing else left to do but simply survive without making any attempts at self-realization.
Let's say Harland Sanders founded KFC only after 40 years. And Takishiro Mori, created the Mori Building Company at the age of 51, which in 1992 allowed him to receive the title of the richest man in the world.
And the artist Anna Moses left a lot of brilliant creations, starting to paint only at the age of 76.
Be sure to watch the movie "The Intern" if you haven't seen it yet. In addition to the excellent performances of Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro, it breaks down stereotypes regarding older people whose activities are related to modern technology.
Ageism: what is it and how does it hinder us?
Feminism seems to have already been understood. It seems that machismo and other modern “isms” have also been dealt with. But what is ageism - a word that literally pours out from the screens of tablets and televisions, from the pages of magazines and newspapers?
Definition and a little history
Simply put, ageism is discrimination based on age. To put it very simply, ageism is an attitude such as that the life of a man or a woman (here there is unquestioning equality - there is no need to even fight!) after 50–60 years is over, that at this age a person cannot be active, happy, harmonious, successful and so on.
You don’t have to look far for an example: the popular attitude of adult children who have started their own families that a grandmother should devote her life to her grandchildren is ageism. The opinion that a man over 60 can only dig in the garden or sit on a bench at the entrance with peers is also ageism. Laughing at older people who actively engage in sports (for example, Nordic walking is popular), dress stylishly, attend cultural events, learn languages, and travel is also ageism.
By the way, the concept is most often used in the context of older people, but it also applies to young people. For example, when it is believed that an 18-year-old girl or boy cannot run a successful business, this is ageism. When people are denied a job because they are “young” and inexperienced, this is also ageism. When parents make all decisions for older children (for example, 17-18 years old) - this is also ageism (although this is a slippery topic - situations vary). When a 30-year-old unmarried woman is told that she is destined for an old maid's fate - you guessed it, that same ageism.
It seems that the concept is completely new - literally out of the blue. But no. It was introduced in 1969 by the American Robert Butler, who, by the way, worked as the director of the National Institute of Aging. The problem, as we see, is not new. But they started talking about it actively only in the last decade.
I propose to concentrate specifically on older people (the situation with them is worse), take a closer look at this phenomenon and try to understand how it interferes and whether something can be done about it.
And a little more theory. The World Health Organization has its own age classification that is used throughout the world. According to it, old age is 60–74 years, and senile age is 75–90 years. Ages from 45 to 59 years are considered middle age. However, contrary to this, ageism begins to flourish even when a modern person approaches the border of his 50th birthday.
How does it interfere?
The fact that young people believe that older people have an “expiration date” significantly reduces the latter’s quality of life:
They are denied career growth – or simply a career. I agree, old people are different from old people. But it is not age itself that needs to be taken into account, but a set of indicators - for example, health status, ability to cope with stress, desire to work. Today, people over 60 actively use smartphones and tablets, have long mastered computers, and are able to work in all advanced programs - they are not inferior to young people in creativity and savvy. And, by the way, they have something that young people don’t have (yet!) - enormous life experience, a broad outlook, expertise in some areas. In other words, age itself should not be a reason for refusal to pursue a career for people over 50–60 years of age. What's the reality? From every corner we hear that we can’t tolerate a job we don’t like, we need to “get high” from life, but what should adults do? They might want to start a new life, to finally live for themselves, and not for their children and grandchildren, but, according to statistics, finding a job for a person after 50 is a problem like solving Fermat’s theorem. What can we say about those who are 60?
Ageism takes away as much as 7 and a half years of life . The negative perception of aging, aggravated by a cruel society (“you are old, and old people are unnecessary and useless”, “life is over”, “youth is gone”), shortens the life of older people by 7.5 years - this, by the way, has been proven by scientists. And constant stress associated with stereotypes (elderly people are sloppy, clumsy, they can’t do anything) worsens health, including contributing to the development of problems with the vascular and cardiac systems. Isolation, to which society pushes older people (why communicate - they are no longer the same age), accelerates the decline of cognitive functions. Bleak prospects, huh?
Ageism forces people to conform to imposed standards of beauty – often at the expense of their health . Society not only does not accept wrinkles and sagging skin, it condemns them. Hence the desire of many older people (not only women, but also men) to appear younger through various plastic procedures. We have all seen the ugly consequences of this online. By the way, it is a mistake to believe that only famous people - actresses, singers - resort to injections and beauty surgeries. The idea that good looks = a successful life and victory over aging is also common among ordinary people. And it’s very easy to avoid this - you just need to accept old age as an integral stage of life. Why “sweat” over something that, in principle, cannot be undone or corrected? Plus, natural aging is beautiful. Have Meryl Streep at 71, Monica Bellucci at 56, Sophia Loren at 86, Catherine Deneuve at 77, Anna Gallena at 66 lost their charm? And Irina Muravyova? And Raisa Ryazanova? And Robert De Niro and Jean Reno are absolutely darlings - one is 77 for a minute, and the other is 72!
Age discrimination deprives older people of the fullness of life. Many 60-year-olds have the energy, and most importantly the time, to play sports, travel, attend exhibitions and master classes, meet friends, and organize clubs of similar interests. But few people dare to break through the stereotypes that grandmothers should babysit their grandchildren. What kind of travel when the ubiquitous advertising on TV only talks about how many pills you need after 50? What stylish clothes are there if many people's wardrobes are made up of things dating back to the 80s? After all, it is not appropriate for the elderly to wear stylish things; being in trend is the job of the young in a world that is aimed at the young.
If young people decide to get married, then “hey, let’s do it.” What if you are elderly? “Have you gone crazy? Why make people laugh? Meanwhile, as adults, people already know exactly what they want, and they don’t always create couples just for the sake of the proverbial glass of water and not being alone in old age. Plus, keep in mind that 30 years ago morals were different: divorce was condemned, and patience in everything in the world was promoted. Maybe right now the elderly have that very chance to become happy? People over 50, like young people, enjoy relationships, go on dates, look for a partner - there is nothing strange about this. A person has one life. Why not “live” it, even if everyone around you thinks otherwise?
Is it like this everywhere?
Unfortunately yes. Although the post-Soviet space will still not surpass the West: our ideas that life is over after 50 are especially zealous and aggressive. And many people have already become accustomed to the state of affairs.
The situation abroad is simpler, although there are also some excesses. For example, in France, even 90-year-old women don’t mind having a blast at local celebrations with local old men. When going out they wear large jewelry. They get manicures and pedicures, choose beautiful frames for glasses, adore hats, happily get together with girlfriends and friends, attend dance schools and theater festivals, and even appear on the covers of fashion magazines.
But we also have hope. In 2021, at the French embassy, I met a little 86-year-old lady who was waiting for a visa to her... 30th country! And she was going to... Iceland - a country where I never got to at 32. And she was amazing! So alive, so sincere, so “burning” with what is to be seen. And it warms the soul.
Is it possible otherwise?
By the way, lately we have seen positive dynamics. For example, a stylishly dressed older lady will cause admiration, not irritation, from most people. And older women appear on advertising posters along with 20- and 30-year-olds. For example, such advertising campaigns were carried out by the Belarusian brands Milavitsa, BelKosmex and Belita back in 2021. They all advocate naturalness, and what could be more natural than age unadorned by Botox? The Belarusian clothing brand LSD Clothing invited models from 14 to 64 years old to its fashion show, and the main character of one of its projects was a 78-year-old model. It makes me proud. By the way, quite recently on one of the news portals I read about a Minsk trolleybus driver who conquers the capital with his mega-stylish looks. I don't remember exactly how old he is, but he looks great! By the way, I immediately remembered the dancing millionaire Gianluca Vacchi. The Italian businessman is 52 – and, by the way, he became a dad in 2021.
Also popular on Instagram is Kipriyanovna, a charismatic red-haired lady who lives by the principle “Age is just a number in a passport.” She makes funny videos - some, by the way, with her grandson.
You've probably heard about the beauty Carmen Dell'Orefice. She's 89 - and still works as a model! Elon Musk’s mother is 72 – and she has no end to advertising modeling contracts.
Well what can I say? Admiration and nothing more! Don’t reproach, don’t offend, don’t limit – just help and support. And then, perhaps, there will be a few more adult, interesting, incredibly beautiful people in the world. There is only one life – and not only for those in their glorious 20s.
Dealing with ageism
The problem of discrimination on this basis is most acute in work situations. There are a lot of vacancies that indicate that applicants under 30 or 40 years old are invited. Sometimes up to 50, but in modern society approximately 25-year-old employees are most in demand.
Those who do not fall into the in-demand category either have to look for a long time for a job or learn a new profession in order to feed their family.
Although young people are more desirable for companies. Since she is more active and has perceptual acuity, she processes information faster and assimilates new material. More mature people, in addition to experience and knowledge, have excellent integrative mental function.
That is, they can successfully organize the activities of other people, as well as invent simpler ways to achieve their plans, without unnecessary resource costs. Such skills come only after 50 years.
Perhaps for this reason, “very mature” leaders lead companies and enterprises to success, even if they were in crisis for a long period, or were generally on the verge of bankruptcy.
Lookism, sexism and ageism
We have to admit that through stereotypes only an illusory picture of life emerges. All “annoying” factors are put somewhere outside the brackets, they try not to notice them, ignore them. For example, lookism is discrimination based on appearance. Inconsistency with the generally accepted canons of beauty, the wrong height, weight or body proportions is already a reason to throw a person out of the circle of privileged individuals.
Sexism in the vast majority of cases goes hand in hand with misogyny. Gender oppression is one of the signs of a deeply patriarchal society, in which women seem to be indispensable, but at the same time, “a chicken is not a bird, a woman is not a person.”
All examples of ageism are in one way or another connected with lookism and, to a large extent, with sexism. If a woman is no longer a young nymph, but still does not meet the parameters suitable for gloss, the pressure of society can become unbearable. Perhaps only strong-willed, self-sufficient individuals do not suffer from this.
Disadvantages of ageism
The downside is that people who are used to living in a society that discriminates against the older generation do not know how to take care of their future. I mean that when they associate old age with illness, loneliness, limitations, and in post-Soviet countries also beggary, then they have no particular desire to live until that time.
Therefore, they strive to grab everything from life while they have the opportunity. And for the most part they live literally one day at a time, not caring about the consequences. Why, having reached about 60 years old, will they feel that their body is excessively worn out, for example, by endless partying in their youth, night shifts and complete disregard for sports.
They don’t really accumulate anything, since in their more active years they were not motivated to create something valuable and unique. They were more attracted by the possibility of getting quick benefits.
It turns out that just like that, slowly, gradually, they destroy themselves. And when they really become limited in something, they realize that they have missed a lot. Only now there is no longer an opportunity to correct your mistakes.
This sometimes leads to extreme stress amid disappointment, pain, and anger. Which, in turn, can provoke the occurrence of mental disorders. Why are older people often called senile and so on? Or problems with the cardiovascular system.
After all, according to statistics, people who have an extremely negative attitude towards aging live about 7 years less than their peers with more positive outlooks on life.
Causes of ageism
The existence of age discrimination in society is due to a list of external and internal factors. The foundations of such behavior are laid at an early age, after which they gradually form into a persistent and well-learned stereotype. The reasons for the described phenomenon are hidden in the public consciousness, where they have long been formed and firmly entrenched. The main stereotypes that are firmly rooted in society and provoke the manifestation of ageism include the following:
- People of the older generation are not able to efficiently and quickly perform the professional tasks assigned to them (in fact, this stereotype is often refuted in practice);
- Old people will never be able to understand modern technology and new technologies;
- Older people have slower reactions and have difficulty thinking;
- The fashion and beauty industry is interested in a large number of young and active consumers;
- All pensioners are frail and sick people, a real burden for the state;
- Manufacturers in a modern consumer society need exclusively young and solvent clients; moreover, it is much easier for them to impose fashion on certain things and material values;
- Older people have lost the ability to learn.
As mentioned above, ageism has not spared teenagers and young adults, who are most often subject to regular criticism for their musical preferences and inability to understand life. Age discrimination against children has similar causes and signs; moreover, children are dependent members of society, and therefore are forced to endure all the attacks of adults and negativity directed at them.
pros
Surprisingly, ageism also has positive sides. In some cases, it allows a person to “stay afloat” and feel needed and useful after retirement.
Yes, the state no longer needs it, social connections have become narrower, due to the fact that many friends and acquaintances simply might not live to old age, for example, having had an accident, contracting a serious illness, etc.
So, the main function of old people during this period is to transfer experience to the younger generation. They occupy their own niche, which is quite important, instead of trying to keep up with modern technologies, win the competition and prove that they are still full of strength.
Women teach their daughters and daughters-in-law to take care of children. They help them cope with household chores at first. Men who have lost their former aggressiveness become more balanced and aware. Which allows them to give advice to their grown sons regarding work, family and life in general. Resolve conflicts and be a support for them in difficult times.
Employment problems
If you open a job site, an unsightly picture emerges. The vast majority of vacancies are aimed at people under thirty years of age. Sometimes the upper limit is moved five years higher. An employer who is ready to hire people under forty is already considered progressive. Despite the fact that the right to work is guaranteed to citizens of working age up to the retirement age, in practice ageism in hiring is present in the vast majority of companies.
Formally, an applicant can defend his rights in court, but it is extremely difficult to prove that he was not hired precisely because of his age. And even if you manage to turn the matter in your favor, then how can you work in an organization where you had to get a job through the court?
Fighting methods
In the post-Soviet space, the fight against ageism is not yet as active as in the West. For example, in America, women over 50-60 strive to be seen, first of all, as colleagues and employees, so if there is no dress code in the office, they will wear comfortable clothes that do not attract attention.
While, for example, in Russia, most ladies strive to look catchy, proving that they have not yet lost their sexuality and femininity, that they cannot yet be “written off.” That’s why they wear bright makeup, purple hair, and sometimes choose things that are more appropriate for teenagers than for adults.
At the moment, if you make a children's film or cartoon in the United States that contains negative elderly characters, the director and the company itself risk getting a lawsuit.
Just remember the well-known image of Baba Yaga; almost every very old and thin grandmother is associated with her. Many children are afraid of them precisely for this reason, suspecting them of evil intentions.
Reasons for age discrimination
Psychologists note several main factors that can lead to manifestations of ageism. People tend to fear old age, when illnesses begin and death approaches. I don’t want to be like all these old people with their petty interests. Ageism is not only discrimination, it is also the fear that one might end up in the place of the oppressed. It turns out to be a classic vicious circle: all anxious feelings and sensations are expressed in the desire to distance themselves as much as possible from approaching old age, transferring the negative attitude from the phenomenon to other people who have already left their youth behind.
Ageism manifests itself in different ways at work. It is believed that if a person has not taken a leadership position by the age of forty, then he is a loser and a bad professional. Of course, this is a fallacy; everyone cannot be a boss, and good performers are worth their weight in gold. However, the collective subconscious may be stronger.
Anti-aging as a product
It is on psychological characteristics that the anti-aging beauty industry is based. In this case, ageism is the best driver of trade. They sell everything that can postpone a terrible period, hide wrinkles, return the “glow of youth” to the skin, tighten everything, eliminate gray hair. But this is not only cosmetics, it is also quite expensive procedures, plastic surgeries, sports programs, shapewear, a huge assortment of fashionable clothes, accessories and gloss that sings along with the rhythm of sales, assuring that if you do all this, old age will not come.
As long as the best compliment for a woman is to clearly understate her age, anti-aging will continue to sell. But is this trap really effective only for the fair sex? Alas, men are just as susceptible to age stereotypes and begin to desperately look younger, just to delay the moment when they will be called old.
How to resist
- First of all, be aware of it. Talk about it. By discussing ageism with people of different ages, we prepare ourselves to face demonstrations of ageism about ourselves and become equipped to resist it.
- It is important to learn to resist. Jokes and ridicule on the topic of old age, dictated by well-known stereotypes, are not always made with the intention of offending, but they produce exactly the same effect. Psychologists recommend preparing several witty answers for this case and promptly putting in place those who are confident in their eternal youth.
- Refrain from being negative about your age. At one time, it was precisely this opinion that became the basis for hidden discrimination. Forget forever the phrase “we are not the same as before.” Firstly, because thoughts tend to materialize, and secondly, you yourself turn into an unwitting preacher of ageism.
A disdainful attitude towards old age becomes something natural: in a team, pensioners can be excluded from solving important tasks, in a family they can be accused of amnesia due to lost keys, etc. Therefore, it is important to study in advance ways to counter ageism (LINK), and remind those closest to you that jokes about age are no less offensive than jokes about racism or religion.
Fear of death
Ultimately, any manifestation of ageism is a concentrated sense of the finitude of human life. If we exclude accidents and serious illnesses, old people have a kind of monopoly on death. From the point of view of the young, they seem to be under the shadow of an approaching death, and this cannot but depress them. In many ways, this impression is illusory, it is far-fetched - at any age you can perfectly enjoy life and be interested in something new. Of course, compared to the rhythm of life of young people and their mobility, it may seem as if the finish line is already looming somewhere, beyond which lies the unknown and oblivion.
In countries where manifestations of ageism have practically disappeared, the image of an elderly person is not associated with such a depressing gloomy overtone as it is in ours. This largely depends on social security, the level of healthcare and other factors. As an example, we can cite the principle of age selectivity in the provision of medical services, which has not yet been eradicated from us. While a young taxpayer, as a promising citizen, will certainly be treated and saved, a person of retirement age too often hears the mention of old age as a diagnosis. Indeed, why save someone who is no longer profitable.
Changing public opinion and challenging stereotypes helps make the social climate more positive overall, so why not start with ageism?
