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A global campaign to combat ageism
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A global campaign to combat ageism
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A global campaign to combat ageism
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Journal Article
A global campaign to combat ageism
2018
Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines ageism as the stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination towards people on the basis of age. Ageism cuts across the life-course and stems from the perception that a person might be too old or too young to be or to do something. Ageism is highly prevalent; however, unlike other forms of discrimination, including sexism and racism, it is socially accepted and usually unchallenged, because of its largely implicit and subconscious nature. Children as young as 4 years are aware of their cultures' age stereotypes. These stereotypes focus predominantly on the negative aspects of ageing, with older age typecast as an inevitable decline in physical and mental capacities and a period of dependency. Language and media, including films, television, popular music, print and social media, most often echo and reinforce these stereotypes, because ageist depictions tend to be the norm. As we get older, we experience ageism from others, but also from ourselves, because of the unconscious internalization of society's negative attitudes and stereotypes towards older people. This helps to explain why older people often try to stay young, feel shame about getting older and limit what they think they can do instead of taking pride in the accomplishment of ageing. Perceived discrimination, whether based on race, gender or age, has negative health outcomes. Ageism has been shown to have significant impact on our participation in society, health and longevity. For example, evidence shows that those who hold negative attitudes on ageing have slower recovery from disability, live on average 7.5 years less than those who hold positive attitudes and are less likely to be socially integrated. Ageism also imposes barriers to the development of good policies on ageing and health as it influences the way problems are framed, the questions that are asked and the solutions that are offered. In this context, age is often understood as sufficient justification for treating people unequally and limiting their opportunities for meaningful contribution.
