Ageism Ageism is a stereotype that still goes on today. Ageism is making assumptions or stereotypes about a person based on age. They can be either casual or systematic. Kendra Cherry (Psychology.com) Ageism is a type of discrimination that involves prejudice against people based upon their age. Similar to racism and sexism, ageism involves holding negative stereotypes about people of different ages. The term ageism was first used by gerontologist Robert N. Butler to describe the discrimination of older adults. Today, the tern is often applied to any type of age-based discrimination, whether it involves prejudice against children, teenagers, adults or senior-citizens. Ageism is not only subject to just elderly people, but children as well. Children are discriminated by when the government doesn't allow them to vote. Children are also discriminated by when they are not allowed to drive until they get to 16. The people that are judged most are definitely the children and the elderly, because most people think they are not capable of looking after themselves. That is also the reason why there are babysitting services and elderly communities. Dealing with elderly people is going to be a growing problem as the baby boomers start to get older. The problem is that there is not that much government help for these problems. Chris Roles (Age International) As the global population ages, there is an urgent need to reassess what role individual societies give to older people to ensure they are able to enjoy a decent standard of living and can continue to contribute to society as long as they wish. Shunting older people to the sidelines of our communities is not only unjust, it makes little sense for countries to miss out on the huge opportunities that longer life brings, and the asset that older people represent. Many older people continue working and also pass on important knowledge and skills to younger generations, and others act as carers to their family – in sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of Aids orphans are looked after by their grandparents.
Ageism is prominent around the world. In most countries it is still considered acceptable to deny people work, access to healthcare, education or the right to participate in government purely because of their age. What Dr. Roles is trying to do is explain how ageism has effected so many of the important people in our life. One important problem that society today is dealing with is aging well. Dr. Jocelyn Angus (Victoria University) At the beginning of the 21st century, the new mantra—“successful” and “resourceful” aging—is used interchangeably and intoned often unreflectively by a society eager to find ways to reduce aged-related losses. Yet despite numerous empirical studies and public health promotion strategies directed at ways of aging well, negative images of aging have an enduring vitality. This article examine sageism in a range of political, social, and cultural manifestos that have a productive role in encoding tacit assumptions and stereotypes about older people’s lives. Particular attention is given to the pervasive use of the concept of “dependency,” a stereotypic and productive ageist mechanism that continues to infiltrate what are arguably more inclusive strategies directed toward a global model of aging well. The authors explore some potential strategies to combat stereotypes and warn that aging well initiatives based on individualism and “self-responsibility” risk reproducing existing power relations that continue to