Stereotype About Old People, And Aging People And The Society

One important aspect of ageism is that the stereotypes created are often undeserving of the older population’s actual capabilities.

The research study was carried out to evaluate the correlation between age and preference for association with individuals from a certain age group or bracket. The use of an IAT test revealed that most people have a strong bias towards old individuals in favor of associations with younger people. The research study was based on extensive observations in numerous American societies that prefer or exhibit a veiled discrimination and/or bias towards old people. Once individuals attain a particular age when they are not self-supporting, a majority of families prefer to send them away to nursing homes and care facilities to live out the rest of their days. Old people are associated with a negative societal stereotype that have been there for a long time, for example, old women are associated with witchcraft or being witches. The inability of the older generation to cope with prevailing social and cultural trends makes them unsavory beings to be around and most people try to avoid their company. IAT is a test that was created to gauge or measure implicit beliefs and attitudes that individuals that are either unable or unwilling to acknowledge when faced with the task of describing these aspects to self or others. The research study was conducted based on the hypothesis that results garnered from an age IAT would correlate with results obtained from a survey carried out to gauge people’s age preferences because they all measure similar constructs.

Ageism is a form of discrimination most commonly experienced by the elderly, and because of that, it is unjustly overlooked. It may not capture the same level of universal attention as other forms of discrimination, such as racism or sexism, but it is a social injustice all the same. The elderly population is stereotyped and discriminated against on the basis of their age in almost all aspects of life. They are discriminated against in the workforce, in the healthcare system, in their societal status, and sometimes even in their own families. This goes to show that elderly ageism is a social injustice because the elderly are notably prone to this kind of abuse. They can’t necessarily change work or healthcare policies so they have no choice but to defend themselves as best as they can, if they can. As life expectancies grow, the elderly population grows with it, and so too does the discrimination against them. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this social injustice by describing the different ways elders encounter ageism, the stereotypes against elderly, the changes that have to be made against this injustice, and how trained nurses can help to make those changes happen.

Ageism and stereotypes of older people can have an important impact on their physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing. Negative stereotypes of older people being dependent and decrepit can be internalized and become self-fulfilling. These ageist thoughts and stereotypes can lead to older people not seeking health care in general and to not get treatment appropriate for their illness or medical condition due to their age and not based on any other factor.

There are several negative stereotypes surrounding older people and the aging process. Stereotypes of aging include assumptions and generalizations about how people at or over a certain age should behave, and what they are likely to experience, without regard for individual differences or unique circumstances (Rylee, 2015). When topics about the elderly come up most people begin to think of stereotypes like the majority of elderly people live institution like nursing homes. Other stereotypes consist of older people cannot learn, elderly people are set in their ways and unable to change, sickness and disability come with old age. When I think about all of the negative stereotype surrounding the elderly population. I can't help but wonder how these individuals handle depression during the aging process.

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.

Merriam-Webster (1980) defines Ageism: any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely based on age; ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults. Discrimination towards the elderly is apparent throughout society. Society has a negative stereotype related to perceptions on aging. We live in a youth-oriented society that does not view the elderly with respect and dignity due to today’s culture and media. The emphasis that are put on ‘staying young’ are enforced on every level. From plastic surgery to every way you could think of to stay ‘young and healthy’ is everywhere you look. The outlook on growing old is a stigma. The stereotypes that are put on older people can be done subconsciously a variety of ways in our everyday life. A few of these stereotypes are: older people are lousy drivers, they are grouchy, weak and incapable. How many times have you been driving behind an elderly person and became aggravated. Or standing behind an older person checking out at a store, they are older, it takes them a little longer to do things. Or even in the ways people speak about the elderly and the negative energy that goes along with it. If you start to pay attention to it, you will start to realize how common it actually is. These characterizations allow our society to disregard the geriatric population and who they really are. There are numerous quality-of-life issues

The news is flooded with stories of negative acts of racism, along with arguments regarding sexism and stereotypical gender roles. While major steps have been taken toward a more unified, accepting country, the United States continues to still lack correct knowledge and understanding to one of the most common “isms” in the country: ageism. Ageism is defined in Aging, the Individual, and Society as “the prejudiced behavior of individuals and systems within the culture against older adults, including negative consequences of inaccurate stereotyping of the elderly” (Hillier & Barrow, 2015, p.11). As a result of prejudice, myths tend to form about the stereotyped group of people. Facts and Fiction about an Aging America by The MacArthur Foundation

Ageism simply means and is presumed that older adults are frail, weak, and disabled permeates society. This label cares negative stereotypes, such as discrimination and prejudices. Ageism exists in the workplace, certain cultures, and social classes and within health care.

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

According to the study of Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston collage, there are many negative stereotypes about older workers. The reading passage discusses these negative stereotypes but the listening passage contradicts these stereotypes by giving explanations.

An experiment performed on young and old people showed that when the participants were told negative stereotypes about their intellect they performed worse on memory tests than those who were not told a stereotype. This research concludes that negative stereotypes have a negative effect on a person’s mental capacity and increases their mental aging. The finding that negative thoughts about elders magnifies their mental decline is seen in another experiment performed on older American and Chinese people to test the mental aging across cultures. The Chinese elders, who are generally optimistic about their age, performed higher on different skill tests than the American elders, who are generally unhappy with aging, did. This shows that aging may be due to social reasons as well as natural aging. Ageism occurs almost everywhere, including hospitals and doctor’s offices. Many health professionals do not want to work with older patients because of the general stereotypes for old people and they sometimes do not receive the proper care and treatment that they need. This discrimination in the health care system adds to the decline of physical and mental health in older people. People who believe the age stereotypes are more prone to becoming those stereotypes. Getting rid of these negative stereotypes and not viewing aging as bad can improve a person’s mental and physical health as they age and help them live longer. Elders who tend to fall into the negative stereotypes tend to have a higher mortality rate than those who do not. Pushing positive views of aging and older people can greatly increase their overall quality of life. There are many different ways to eliminate negative views of aging. Being more open to the idea of growing old and retiring, shining light on the benefits of a great life after retirement, having strong social bonds, educating people of all ages

I really enjoyed the lecture on Ageism; it was very interesting and educational. I was surprised with the 20 True or False question on what is your aging I.Q. We do have different concept about elderly or older people, however after watching the lecture I have learned more true understanding about ageism. Ageism is when you judge people based on age. Unfortunately, I was surprised when this can be called as prejudice and stereotypes. I use to receive elderly jokes through email, which was really hilarious but didn’t think as being prejudice or stereotypes.

Stereotypes of aging greatly affect older adult’s. Although, stereotypes can be both positive and negative, there is a negative stigma associated with aging. Many associate old age with forgetfulness, ill health and poor mental and physical function. According to Berke (2013), “Stereotype threat—the fear of being judged on the basis of a negative stereotype—can trigger anxiety that interferes with performance” (p.314). For example, people judge, the elderly’s failure in memory. If an older person can’t find their cell phone, one may think they are becoming senile. However, if a younger person can’t remember where they placed their cell phone it isn’t a big deal, they don’t have a serious memory problem. Berek (2013) also states, “In a survey

I think that sometimes the older generation will stereotypically think that the younger generation is lazy, irresponsible, ungrateful and that they have no respect for others. The older generation may feel that the younger generation has no moral values, that they are spoiled, and that they think they know it all. The younger generation may feel that the older generation is inflexible, that they are set in their ways, and that they are technologically unskilled. I think that these commonly formed opinions about different generations can create views that divide us. I feel that each generation could learn from the other if they are open and willing to do so.