Stereotypes Of 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,

In today’s modern world, our mindset in fashion are all based on fantasy; new brands/branding, trends and many more. We all live in a society whereby we tends to buy things that are attractive. Even though we don’t have enough money for such items such as cloths, borrowing or lending money from others would better off the cost. In fashion, a question came to mind, what type of people are mostly portrayed especially in magazine covers?

After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous

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

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.

People may have different reactions to how the media portrays older adults however it’s apparent that many times these stereotypes are not all fun and games and can actually be detrimental for the ageing population. Society may not realize that by continuing to generalize and stereotype older adults in the media it’s creating larger issues. A major issue I notice is that the media is also a form of education and for those who did not already have preconceived ideas about the ageing population; the media can then sway them to view older adults as such.

In the case of older adults, common ageist stereotypes might suggest that any individual older than age 65 is mentally and physically incapacitated, even though the overwhelming of the older adults are not (Plassman etal.,2007). Stereotypes are defined as oversimplified, exaggerated beliefs about a group or category of people. Stereotypes may be positive or negative, usually negative, which often distort facts. For instance, overgeneralizations surrounding older people and the aging process is old age begins at 60, old people are unproductive , and old women are a burden to everyone are amongst a couple stereotypes older people face. Members of society have been socialize to belief that age can be mark or measure. The dilemma with attempting to measure age is it is subjective to each society. In attempts to categorize members of society by age people often use chorological age, functional status, or life stage. Chronological age is used in our society as the basis for determining many social roles (voting, driving, marrying, holding public office, for eligibility in social programs (such as social security, AARP membership, or Older American Act), and for inclusion in research about aging (Morgan, Kunkel, 2011:7). Chronological age measures age by major life transitions in society. Thus, categorizing people as

While aging does not harm a person Its effects can devastate families, children, and acquaintances. 3 of the most well-known effects of Aging Are Parkinson's, alzheimers, and dementia. Well both diseases can take a toll on a person, they each take a different part of a person. Parkinson's effects the inner workings of the brain causing tremors And cannot be cured. Dementia is a disease that eats away at a senior citizens memory, many elderly patients have died due to the fact they forgot how to swallow and choke on their own saliva. Dementia is also linked to forgetfulness in senior citizens because it does interfere with daily living and functionality in their daily lives. Well all three diseases are very different they all do

Have you ever been in a debate between something? Well in the article “ Is this generation really more informed?” We read about how people think that this generation is more informed than the generations in the past because everyone has technology and phones. But not all people are correct. Everyone is not always informed about the right things. Some people are more worried about the things that interest them than about things that are important to the world.

When aging statistics are looked upon in a positive light, it shows that 90-94% of people aged 65 or older and 70% of people aged 85 years or older are unlikely to experience the effects of dementia (Chapman et al 2). This means that the majority of seniors will remain present in their minds and have the ability to function cognitively equal to anyone else. In addition, recent research reveals “[t]he effects of the aging process itself have been exaggerated, and the modifying effects of diet, exercise, personal habits, and psychosocial factors underestimated” (Rowe and Kahn 143). Older adults who practice a healthy lifestyle, remain active and involved in their community, significantly lower

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.

With the cheerful mood back to normal, the students continue their sing along when an old grayish pick-up pulls alongside the Buick, catching the kid’s interest. A 1945 ford 12 ton 8 cylinders with automatic transmission, an old classic for sure, and it had the black emission smoke to prove it. An elderly man with snow-white hair, wearing a vintage Dodger cap, which dated back to the days of Sandy Koufax, was at the wheel. With a strong resemblance to the horror film actor Vincent Price, the old man looked as out-of-date as the classic he was driving. However, there was nothing scary about him. The woman, on the other hand, is presenting a more stereotyped description of what a real grandma should look like; at least that is what the kids

Aging is presented in various different ways in the news, but it typically has a negative stereotype associated with it. The media is known for its glorification of being young, making the thought of becoming older repulsive to many. This negative association with aging can have a harmful impact on individuals as the years go by. For example, there could be a possible link between Alzheimer’s and changes occurring in the brain as a result of this negative stereotyping. On the other hand however, the media will also show aging in a positive light and how aging not just associated with decreasing health and quality of life. In doing so, the media will portray elderly individuals who defy the odds by doing remarkable feats, such as Georgina Harwood who went skydiving and cage diving with sharks at the age of 100.

According to Levy (2003), “The length of time needed to add participation in the reference group to participation in the membership group is likely to vary according to the negativity of an individual’s aging stereotypes. That is, the more negative the aging stereotypes, the more resistance there would be to identifying with the old.”Aging stereotypes may prevent individuals from identifying as “old” because they do not want to conform to the negative stereotypes such as becoming senile. It is almost a form of denial. This resistance from negative aging stereotypes may influence one’s subjective age identity as well. For instance, if one strongly does not feel that they are weak as a stereotype would describe them, then they would feel younger than their chronological age. If the storetype is congruent with the individual’s own self-concept then they would be more likely to adapt the stereotype as their own.

Throughout my life, I have seen so many people around me being stereotyped before someone even got a chance to know them. Many individuals are stereotyped based on their color, religion, or culture. While going to school, I was stereotyped by my religion and my appearance. A lot of people believed that sense I was a Christian I was a "goody goody," and never done any wrong. However, what they never realized is that even though I walked a path with God, I had to ask for forgiveness everyday. As Christians, we are far from being perfect, and we sin daily. To add, I was bullied because I wore glasses. Kids use to say that I am a geek, and four eyed. So, therefore, many people are stereotyped in many different ways.