Ageism –The Silent Epidemic

In 1969, Robert Butler put forth the term ageism as “prejudice by one age group toward other age groups” (Butler, 1969, p. 243). In the decades since, a wealth of research has demonstrated the pervasiveness of age prejudice against older people. Today, ‘ageism’ is most commonly used to describe bias and discrimination against older people; however, it can also include bias against younger people or even specific age groups such as the ‘millennials’, etc. Ageism can also take many forms including discrimination (in employment, housing, healthcare, etc.), violence, abuse, exclusion, media portrayals, microaggressions, stereotyping, belittling and so on.

Ageism is a social construct of old age that portrays ageing and older people in a stereotypical, often negative, way. Ageism is most commonly understood to describe bias and discrimination against older people but it can also include bias against young people or even specific age groups like millennials. Ageism can take many forms including discrimination (in employment, housing, healthcare, etc.), violence, exclusion, media portrayals, microaggressions, stereotyping, belittling and more. As in all forms of bias, ageism contributes to a culture of intolerance and injustice in society. Ageism is harmful both to the individuals affected and to society as a whole and it is important to recognise the origins of ageism, the descriptions of the manifestations and consequences of ageism in different domains including the labour market and workplace and also interventions which might curtail and /or reduce ageism.

The scientific community acknowledges that human ageing is not solely the biological process of senescencethe gradual deterioration of bodily functions that potentially increases the risk for morbidity and mortality after maturation. Human ageing is known to be embedded in social contexts and is shaped by social factors such as where we grew, where we live and our relationship with the social network of partners, family members, and friends. Most often, we are not aware of our ageist perceptions and behaviours. Ageism is prevalent in different domains of life: at work, in public spaces, in educational institutions, shops, and in healthcare organizations, etc. Although ageism can affect any age group, it most often a affects older people, and it is strongly institutionalized, generally accepted and unchallenged, largely because of its implicit and subconsciousnature. Ageist depictions are prevalent in everyday language and in the media. Ageist policiessuch as health care rationing by age and institutional policies and practices that perpetuate stereotypicalbeliefs, such as compulsoryretirement and the shortage of continuing education programmes on ageing for health professionals, are prevalent. Ageism against older adults occurs in many life domains and can be expressed as either benevolent or hostile prejudice. Young, middle-aged, and older adults all view acts of benevolent ageism toward older adults as more acceptable than acts of hostile ageism and ageist acts perpetrated by close others (e.g., family members or friends) as more acceptable than acts perpetrated by strangers.To add to this, women are more likely to live longer than men, and for longer with a disability, leaving them more at risk of accumulated disadvantages. It is also important to consider other forms of discrimination that could add to an individual’s experience of structural ageism, such as socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation and race. Ageist attitudes can build upon these complex intersections, leading to many older people experiencing multiple discriminations at the same time.

Ageism is also pervasive and experienced by both younger and older participants in the labour market. Many older workers face ageism when looking for new jobs, training opportunities and career development or are pushed to leave into early retirement in times of economic recession. Ageism in the labour market is prevalent and costly to businesses that do not make the most of the potential of their ageing workforce. At the individual level, ageism has been shown to negatively affect health and well-being and can reduce life expectancy by up to 7.5 years. Since the mid1990s, there have been marked policy shifts within many nations promoting the possibility and positivity of extended working lives. This promotion is often framed as an economic necessity, for societies and individuals, given population aging in concert with global economic crises.

It is not that ageism affects only the older people. Butler (1969) noted very early that ageism against younger age groups also occurs.Although existing research has identified the prevalence of ageism, less is known about how ageism experiences might differ for young, middle-aged, and older adults. In general, age discrimination measures are unable to pinpoint whether ageism experiences differ by domain or context. Furthermore, it is unknown if there are differences in who perpetrates ageism toward each age group or if there are differences in the emotional response of ageism targets. This calls for comprehensive policy actions at all levels and collaboration between various groups of stakeholders. The complexity and intersectionality of the phenomenon needs to be addressed now, as deeply rooted stereotypes, prejudices and discriminatory practices take time to change.

Social scientists and medical researchers may especially appreciate the imminent need to explore the origins of ageism, understand the manifestations and consequences of ageism, explore practical tools with which to study ageism, to adequately monitor its occurrence, interventions that work against ageism and become partners and advocate to confront and challenge ageism.