Why Ageism Needs to be Stopped in Society

The Issue of Age in Cultural Diversity
Introduction
Age is an important aspect of cultural diversity that often goes ignored. For that reason ageism is a particularly problematic issue. Racism and sexism are often reported on but prejudice against the elderly is not so commonly touched upon in society. For example, the current presidential candidate Joe Biden is often mocked on social media by people engaging in ageist behavior, attacking him for being senile and having dementia because he stutters or stumbles in his speech or train of thought while campaigning. What people do not realize is that they would likely not fare any better were they to hit the campaign trail and have to give numerous speeches. As Albom (2019) notes, “jabs at Joe Biden mask our growing ageism issue.” This paper will discuss the cultural factors regarding age, developmental theory models, relevant laws, other diversity issues, resources available for special services, and my own personal characteristics towards complementing age and concerns for my cultural competency. The main point this paper will make is that age is a diversity issue that needs to be given more attention as there is a high degree of ageism in this country especially among young people who derogatorily refer to their elders as “boomers” and have no problem mocking the elderly for what appears to them to be cognitive decline.
Historical, Political, Social, Economic and Cultural Factors Regarding Age
In older societies age was revered and one was taught to respect one’s elders. This was the customary practice in both the East and the West. However, in the 20th century there was a marked shift in terms of the generation gap, as the younger generation adopted more liberal values and the older generation viewed the younger generation as having no sense of respect, what hard work and commitment meant, and why younger people should mind their manners. The cultural barriers for place and respect were disintegrated all over the world (David, 2018).
However, with 2008 global economic crisis, many older persons who ordinarily would have retired continued on working in the workplace, fearing that their economic futures were not secure. Thus, the workforce is aging in the 21st century (Heggeness, Carter-Johnson, Schaffer, & Rockey, 2016). This means that there are now certain challenges for management in today’s workplace, such as the fact that the workplace now consists of multiple generations of workers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but also it means that issues like ageism, appropriate motivational approaches, and physical limitations of older workers have to be addressed. With more than a third of today’s workers now expecting to work past the age of retirement, an aging workforce is fast becoming a reality and creating increased need for cultural competency with respect to age (Lassila, 2019).
Developmental Theory Models
Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Theory explains how the various stages of one’s life play out in terms of the central conflict of each age. Thus, the first stage is the Trust vs. Mistrust stage and occurs between the ages of 0 and 2. Second is Autonomy vs. Shame occurring between ages 2-3. Third is Initiative vs. Guilt for children from 3-5. Fourth is Industry vs. Inferiority for children 5-12 and fifth is Identity vs. Role Confusion for adolescents from 12-18. Sixth is Intimacy vs. Isolation for adults from ages 18-40. Seventh is Generativity vs. Stagnation for ages 40-65. The eighth and final stage is Ego Integrity vs. Despair from age 65 on up (McLeod, 2018). From this model one can see how age impacts one’s views as every age has its own conflict to deal with as the person finds his or her place in the world. This perspective can be combined with labeling theory, which can add complexity to the perspective on age as it includes the biases and prejudices that people bring to their own internal issues.
Labeling theory posits that people will apply negative labels to others as a way of marginalizing them and taking power from them. People who want to have power over others label them with derogatory terms show that it is different and unacceptable to what they are doing (Lumen, 2019). When young people label older people as handicapped or as senile it shows that they are not attempting to honor or respect their elders but rather are attempting to marginalize them and take power from them. This has effects on older people. For example, one of the major challenges that older adults face in terms of mental health is the problem of depression (Landeiro, Barrows, Musson, Gray & Leal, 2017). Yet, if younger people would stop trying to label older people, they could actually help them and construct a more stable and harmonious society. For instance, a therapeutic method that helps elderly people who are dealing with depression is reminiscence group therapy (Liu, Lin, Chen & Huang, 2007). Younger people could participate in this therapy as a means of community service because older people enjoy reminiscing and sharing their experiences with the younger generation. It is an innate desire to pass on knowledge to the next generation.
Relevant Laws That Have Helped Access to Care
The Affordable Care Act helped to increase coverage for millions of Americans including the elderly. That healthcare law made it saw that all people regardless of their age could receive more access to care and be treated equally. It also ensured that health care workers would help to provide more preventive care.
Another relevant law, as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2018) notes, is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits workplace discrimination based on religion, national origin, race, color, or sex” and which served as the basis for the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). ADEA has ensured that age discrimination is illegal in the workplace and that workers who feel biased against because of their age have recourse to the law and can receive the care they are entitled to by their basic human rights. People who feel discriminated against because of their age have the right to sue and put an end to the prejudice in the workplace that they face.
How Age, Race and Socio-Economic Status Create Additional Challenges
Age is not the only factor in cultural diversity, and race and socio-economic status can intensify the needs of this population as both can lead to increased bias and prejudice from others who seek to apply labels to people who are different from them. Racism is always a factor in diversity and socio-economic status can send a message to some who are classist. So if a person is of a specific age and race and from a lower class, that person is going to find it harder to receive fair treatment from others who label such individuals in order to marginalize them.
The point to remember with age is that it is not just bias against elderly that impacts society. There can also be a bias against young people because they are inexperienced. Not all young people are going to be immature or lack work ethic and to think so is to engage in a form of prejudice. Thus, it is important for people not to judge others on externals but rather on actions. Age is not an indicator of anything by itself. Actions are indicators. Yet young people are often treated with disdain by establishment types who do not want to see their position rocked by younger people who they suspect of wanting to engage in revolution.
Age is especially made more of an issue when race and status are involved. Thus, if it is a young African-American person from a low income neighborhood, people in the establishment are going to feel threatened generally speaking because of the culture of racism that is inherent in the social system. Racism, classism and ageism are all intertwined at times. So if it is an older person one is also likely to have negative thoughts about that individual. Or if it is an Hispanic or any other minority it is likely to be the same issue. Thus, age, race and income status all affect how fairly a person might be treated.
Two Resources Currently Available for Special Services
There are numerous resources available for special services for people with age issues, including Meals on Wheels and homecare services. These services do not have to be just for the elderly as they can apply for people with young children as well. All ages really can need special services. Adolescents may need tutoring and there are tutoring services available in the area through Wyzant, which hires contract tutors to meet the needs of individual learners. Of course learners can be young and old, and so age is not a constraint here. However, there are also homecare services that provide homecare and housecleaning for aged people who have difficulty maintaining a house. These services can all be found online and through mobile apps in today’s digital climate, so they may be easier for younger digital natives to use than for older people. These resources can also be accessed through community groups such as churches or through telephone or in person by visiting local offices.
How My Personal Characteristics will Complement This Issue
I am personally very positive about aging and I view ageism as unfortunate. I have a close relationship with my own parents and had a close relationship with my grandparents. I enjoy the company of older people because I feel like I have a lot to learn from them and I appreciate their experience and worldly wisdom. I also try to see the benefits of an aging workforce, of which there are many.
For example, as Schwartz, Monahan, Hatfield and Anderson (2018) show, there are positive dimensions that managers can focus on when it comes to the aging workplace. For instance, older workers have generational attitudes, beliefs and values that are different from younger workers. They are more likely to be loyal to a company and their work ethic is likely to be stronger. They can help train and mentor younger workers and provide advice from the perspective of time and give younger employees a better sense of the bigger picture in life. This can be a way for generational respect to develop within the workplace.
Older workers can also help to fill a talent gap. As companies struggle to retain younger workers, who are constantly looking for the next best thing in employment, they can turn to older workers who are happy finding a job and staying with it. Instead of looking for a promotion up the ladder, older workers are satisfied with a routine that they can get familiar with. They are also likely to bring a higher quality of work to the job (Schwartz et al., 2018). Keeping these positives in mind helps me to complement the age factor when it comes to diversity and culture.
Concerns for Cultural Competency
To prevent issues like ageism from rearing up, however, managers should discuss the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Just because the majority of employees are likely to be younger and not of retiring age, it does not mean that they can express ageist beliefs or attitudes. Diversity and inclusivity are important in a 21st century workplace culture and managers must make sure that older workers do not feel like they are being treated unfairly by other workers. All employees should be made to know that prejudice towards others because of their age will not be tolerated.
With that said it is important to know that age does come with restrictions. Aging can be associated with a decline of function, as Truxillo, Cadiz and Hammer (2015) indicate and those in management positions should be aware of that. Sensory, muscle and aerobic capacity are all ways an aging workforce can face obstacles. Older workers may also lack stamina and have reduced homeostasis, which is the ability to operate normally even after a change of environment. In short, older workers may face challenges in each of the following categories:
· Physical changes
· Cognitive changes
· Affective changes
· Personality
· Motivation
Dealing with these issues requires sensitivity and cultural competency in terms of appreciating the limitations that come with working with older people. In the physical changes category, the elderly are likely to experience sensory, muscular and aerobic obstacles. Their immune system is not going to be as strong as a younger person, and they are less likely to be resilient to changes in the environment—i.e., fluctuations in temperature, loss of sleep, etc. (Truxillo et al., 2015). Cognitive changes can be result in challenges related to fluid intelligence—i.e., age-related alterations in the person’s ability to process information, rely upon memory or focus and pay attention during a task. Crystallized intelligence presents another cognitive change and refers to the person’s ability to gain new knowledge, skills or wisdom. The older people get the harder it usually is for them to learn new skills (Truxillo et al., 2015). To be culturally competent, one must be sensitive to the needs of this population.
Conclusion
Age is an issue in culture that needs more attention because it is not something that always comes up when the discussion turns to diversity. There are many factors that influence diversity—race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status—but age is often left off that list, which is unfortunate because ageism is definitely on the rise. Older people are abused by younger people—but younger people can also be prejudiced against by older people. The generation gap has been a problem for decades but it is getting worse because of the fact that the workplace is aging. So now there are multiple generations in the workplace and Millennials are mixing with Generation X and with Baby Boomers. Generation Z is about to join the mix to make it even more complicated. Cultural competency is needed so that all the generations can be understood and so that all have access to the care they required. Each age group should have the right to respect and should not have to fear prejudice from people who want to affix labels to them. Labeling others based on age, rage, gender or class status is a way to marginalize and that practice has to be eliminated.
References
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Heggeness, M. L., Carter-Johnson, F., Schaffer, W. T., & Rockey, S. J. (2016). Policy implications of aging in the NIH-funded workforce. Cell Stem Cell, 19(1), 15-18.
Landeiro, F., Barrows, P., Musson, E. N., Gray, A. M., & Leal, J. (2017). Reducing social isolation and loneliness in older people: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 7(5), e013778.
Lassila, S. (2019). Managing Risks of an Aging Workforce. Construction Executive, 2020. Retrieved from https://constructionexec.com/article/managing-risks-of-an-aging-workforce
Liu, S. J., Lin, C. J., Chen, Y. M., & Huang, X. Y. (2007). The effects of reminiscence group therapy on self-esteem, depression, loneliness and life satisfaction of elderly people living alone. Mid-Taiwan Journal of Medicine, 12(3), 133-142.
Lumen. (2019). Theoretical perspectives on deviance. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/theoretical-perspectives-on-deviance/
McLeod, S. (2018). Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
Schwartz, J., Monahan, K., Hatfield, S. & Anderson, S. (2018). No time to retire redesigning work for our aging workforce. Deloitte.
Truxillo, D. M., Cadiz, D. M., & Hammer, L. B. (2015). Supporting the aging workforce: A review and recommendations for workplace intervention research. The Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2, 351-381.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2018). Employment discrimination.Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/fs-relig_ethnic.cfm