Article Summary 1: Ageism
This is a summary of the article Ageism: The Strange Case of Prejudice Against an Older You written by Todd D. Nelson.
This article can be read here.
Summary:
Ageism: The Strange Case of Prejudice Against the Older You
By: Todd D. Nelson
Goals of Article:
Research on ageism
New discoveries
Areas for new research
What does ageism look like, who is likely to be ageist and what can be done?
Key points:
Assuming that all older people have the same behaviors and characteristics is stereotyping them by a common factor and is ageism
Getting responses from people that indicate if they are ageist can all be determined on how you ask them questions
Older people used to be considered in higher regard
Access to books and printed materials influenced who had knowledge
Need for mobility in family unit made being an older person a detriment to the family
US has a strong bias towards young people as being old is out of our control and so not valued in an individualistic society
The view of Americans towards death as final and an end is anxiety-producing
Other cultures have different attitudes towards elderly and death that counter the mentality held by US culture
Fear of death is a huge factor in ageism
Ageism is an institutionalized mentality in the US perpetuated by media, consumer goods and images. Most people speak to their elders in a manner different from how they speak to those they do not view as elderly. This is made more complex by some older people preferring to be spoken to in this way
Implicit bias of our brain being ageist is statistically proven
Mental health workers and those who work with the elderly are not free from ageism and bias
Conclusions:
Ageism, age stereotyping and age prejudice are real things
Part of ageism is tied to cultural attitudes towards death
In the US ageism is a part of the culture and is institutionalized
Ageism is found amongst the very people who work specifically with aging adults
High functioning older persons are more likely to be offended by ageism
More research needs to be done on how we can combat ageism
Address fear and finality of death
Regain status of older adults in society
Create more opportunities for older adults to engage in society
Increase education and awareness in schools, media and other sources
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