Common Theories Of Ageism: How Does Society View Aging?

Like sexism and racism, ageism is discrimination, a deep and profound prejudice against the elderly. Elderly individuals constantly face negligence because of Ageism. In this society of isms, racism, sexism, and ageism; these things create labels, stereotypes, and categorizes people, by shape, size, color, and age. The elderly in their later years should be able to have a peaceable life and be treated with dignity and respect. However, pretty much anyone over the age of 50 is a target for an attack of an attitude of ageism at some point. The Greek, the Native indigenous group and Koreans are few of the cultures that adore, admires and respects the elderly in their community. As baby boomers are growing old and ageing out of the workforce,

Three theory apply to aging the elderly. Our first theory is called structural-functional theory. As the author of our textbook, John Macionis, agrees that this approach views society as a complex, but interconnected system, where each part works together as a functional whole (p.16). The author of the book applies this approach to the aging topic and show how the "operations" of the society can be confused and disordered on the fact that people grow old and die ultimately. As a result of that the society dissociate older people from important tasks or disband them from responsibilities as they grow older (p.439). Drawing on the structural-functional theory, the disengagement theory illustrates that as people grow old the society eliminates them from their responsibilities and their

Successful aging is a complicated and multifaceted concept that varies contextually among individuals, disciplines, and even time. Gerontologists have traditionally considered a person to have aged successfully upon having reached old age with their physical health, mental well-being and spirit still intact. Ultimately, successful aging is a matter of personal perspective, largely influenced by an individual 's values and experiences. Even those within America 's elderly population hold conflicting perspectives on what it means to have aged successfully. A qualitative study published by Reichstadt and Sengupta titled Older Adults ' Perspectives on Successful Aging, concluded that “older adults viewed successful aging as a balance between self-acceptance and self-contentedness on one hand and engagement with life and self-growth in later life on the other” (Reichstadt, "Older Adults ' Perspectives on Successful Aging: Qualitative Interviews", pp. 567-575.)

Day to day, people face all sorts of discrimination in the world. One form of discrimination a person may encounter is ageism. Ageism is defined as prejudice against a certain age group. Whether that a young age such as teenagers, or an older age such as senior citizens. Ageism is everywhere. In the media of today’s world and in jobs.

Modern society view’s aging as a form of sickness and the elderly as persons who are closer to dying and death. This is what is often portrayed in our mass and social media. When considering issues of aging sociologists have found that more positive characteristics are often said for persons under sixty five years than for over sixty five years.

The aging population is the fastest growing population in our nation. By the year 2030, it is estimated that approximately 61 million people will be between the ages 65 -85 and 9 million individuals will be ages 85 and older (Ouchida &Lachs, 2015). Perceptions of the elderly have slightly changed for the better in recent years, but biases and discrimination are still very widespread in our society today. “Ageism” is a phrase coined by Robert Butler in 1969 and implies a preconception, prejudice, and discrimination against older adults and can come in many forms.

The term "ageism" was coined in 1969 by Robert Butler, the first director of the National Institute on Aging. He used the word to describe the process of systematic stereotyping of people because they are old. Ageism is a term that is similar to other ‘isms ' in society, such as racism and sexism. "Ageism allows other generations to see older people as different from themselves; thus they subtly cease to identify with their elders as human beings" (Butler, 1975). All people, including the young as well as the old, can be discriminated against based on age. Today ageism is more broadly defined as any prejudice or discrimination against or in favor of an age group (Palmore, 1990).

Some also think that older people are absent-minded, forgetful, feeble, stuck in the past, more conservative than the younger. Some same behavior of the younger and older people is viewed and interpreted differently by the society. For example, if your mom asks for the key to you and your grandmother, the perception differ in your mother’s view. If you forget where the keys are then your mother probably think you have too many things in your mind so you forgot temporarily. Similarly, if your grandmother forgets then your mother views grandmother as chronically forgetful and has some mental disorder. People think that older people have more physical and mental problem due to which they need to live in nursing homes and old age homes. But the fact is only 5.4% of the elderly people are placed in a nursing home because of their physical and emotional problems. The rest of the population is living independently in their family home, assisted living and with family members and friends. The elderly people who are unemployed are seen caring for their family members, volunteering in schools, church, daycares, hospitals, library and civic service organization. They have often seemed engaging in charitable works. Some elderly people even continue their education.

The aging of society has not significantly changed our perceptions of the elderly. Ageism is widespread in Western societies (Dionigi, et al, 2011). Older adults are seen as boring, grumpy irritable, weak, debilitated, mournful, and most significantly cognitively. These stereotypes which are negative can be allowed by the aged themselves negative self-stereotyping (Dionigi, et al, 2011) and are as well found among specialized caregivers (e.g., Cowan, Fitzpatrick, Roberts, & While,2004). The image in relation to which older adults are more ineffectual than younger adults is predominantly dominant. Nevertheless, in a variety of domains, older adults are inclined to have analogous performances and at times even do better than younger

Ageism is becoming a major problem. The elderly population is predicted to double in the next eight years, having the effect of older people in the workforce, medical patients, and community members. This causes younger people to be around older people more often causing them to make generalizations. There has been an increased effort to stop age discrimination. Ageing is a natural occurring thing so most people in their lives will be affected by ageism. For one to fully understand ageism, one must know the definition, stereotypes, and the effect of those stereotypes.

“Older people are likely to be seen as a burden and a drain on resources, rather than as a resource themselves”, this being a common interpretation many have on elderly because of Ageism (Irving, 2015, p. 72). The term “Ageism” was developed in 1969 by Robert M. Butler, the director of the District of Columbia Advisory Committee on Aging (SOURCE). Ageism, meaning, the prejudice and discrimination against older people (Macionis, 2014, pg.104), has been an un-noticed growing stereotype. When many think of becoming an elderly they mostly think of the things you can’t do any more. This point exactly has been the driving force of Ageism’s growth. Originally the term was introduced by Butler because of his partnership with the NCHA (housing) and

The phrase "ageism" refers to two notions: a gregariously constructed way of cogitating older persons predicated on negative postures and stereotypes about ageing and a proclivity to structure society predicated on a posit that everyone is puerile, thereby failing to respond opportunely to the authentic desiderata of older persons. Treating people unfairly based on their age has been in attendance in the society because of the inclination of developments that is happening. Ageism is sometimes a cause for individuals acts of age discrimination and as well as discrimination that is more structured in nature, treating people in an unfair situation ascribable to age is known as age discrimination (Ontario Human Rights …). Treating people unfairly

To begin with, ageism refers to discriminating and being prejudice of senior citizens (p.1), according to assisted living federation of America (2013). Therefore, Anderson (2013) stated, “some younger people perceive anyone with wrinkled skin or gray hair as old” (pg.1) thus, the issues of ageist stereotypes are associated with the process of aging. Consequently, while discussing with family and friends about the mounting baby boomer populace, there are various respectable and dire descriptions of aging and the elderly. An unpleasant reflection of aging would be calling them old, fragile, socially isolated, and supplementary forgetful. On the other hand, the fine descriptions of older adults would be being more conversant, becoming of additional

The first aim of the article is to provide an understanding of different forms of ageism and the negative affects that they have on older adults. Common misinterpretations of aging include believing that old people are sick just because they are old, that they cannot learn new things, that older adults are unable to change their lifestyle behaviors, longevity is based on genetics, older individuals do not engage in sexual activity, and older people do not pull their own weight. It is imperative that these myths are challenged. One example where

Knowing and having an understanding of what ageing stands for, remains an important step, growing-up or growing older and ageism are theories about older individuals. Ageism includes preconceptions that elderly are categorized for their age and perceived as weak, and incapable of performing tasks and needy of others (Quadagno, 2014). Another view about elderly individuals is the way they are looked down on by the younger society, i.e. elderly are not as intelligent as their younger competitive working force. People fear what they do not know and do not understand. Age transpires as something that must be lived through in order to understand what ageing means; looking back on one’s life and seeing accomplishments made,