Age as a Cultural Diversity Issue: Ageism and Competency
This paper examines age as an often-overlooked dimension of cultural diversity, arguing that ageism deserves the same attention given to racism and sexism. It surveys historical and socioeconomic factors that have shaped generational relations, applies Erikson's Psychosocial Developmental Theory and labeling theory to understand age-related bias, and reviews key legislation—including the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967—designed to protect older workers. The paper also considers how race and socioeconomic status compound age-based discrimination, identifies community and digital resources available to aging populations, and outlines workplace cultural competency strategies. Physical, cognitive, affective, and motivational changes associated with aging are discussed, alongside the genuine strengths older workers bring to multigenerational workplaces.
- Introduction: Ageism framed as underreported diversity issue
- Historical, Political, Social, Economic, and Cultural Factors Regarding Age: Generational respect eroded; aging workforce emerges
- Developmental Theory Models: Erikson's stages and labeling theory applied to age
- Relevant Laws That Have Helped Access to Care: ACA and ADEA protect older Americans legally
- How Age, Race, and Socioeconomic Status Create Additional Challenges: Intersecting identities compound age discrimination
- Resources and Personal Stance on Age Diversity: Services available and author's positive aging outlook
- Concerns for Cultural Competency: Managing aging workforce with sensitivity and inclusivity
- Conclusion: Call for greater attention to ageism in diversity discourse
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds an abstract social issue in a concrete, timely example (public discourse around Joe Biden) before widening to broader structural analysis, giving readers an immediate point of engagement.
- Integrates two complementary theoretical lenses—Erikson's Psychosocial Developmental Theory and labeling theory—to explain both the internal experience of aging and the external social stigma attached to it.
- Balances critique of ageism with a constructive focus: the paper does not simply condemn prejudice but also identifies the genuine contributions of older workers and practical resources for aging populations.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective intersectional analysis by showing how age-based discrimination rarely operates in isolation. The author explicitly links ageism to racism and classism, illustrating how overlapping identity factors (age + race + income) compound disadvantage—a core move in diversity and social-science writing that elevates the argument beyond single-axis thinking.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a clear thematic sequence: an introductory framing with a real-world example; historical and socioeconomic context; two theoretical frameworks; relevant legislation; intersecting identity factors; available resources and the author's personal positionality; cultural competency concerns with specific physical and cognitive detail; and a synthesizing conclusion. Each section builds on the previous, moving from theory and law toward practical application.
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 frequently reported on, but prejudice against the elderly is not commonly addressed in public discourse. For example, former presidential candidate Joe Biden was often mocked on social media by people engaging in ageist behavior—attacking him for allegedly being senile or having dementia because he stuttered or stumbled 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 deliver numerous speeches themselves. As Albom (2019) notes, "jabs at Joe Biden mask our growing ageism issue."
This paper discusses the cultural factors regarding age, developmental theory models, relevant laws, other diversity issues, resources available for special services, and personal characteristics relevant to cultural competency around age. The central argument is that age is a diversity issue that needs more attention, as there is a high degree of ageism in this country—particularly among young people who derogatorily refer to their elders as "boomers" and who have no hesitation in 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 twentieth century there was a marked shift in terms of the generation gap: the younger generation adopted more liberal values, while the older generation viewed younger people as lacking respect, a work ethic, commitment, and basic manners. Cultural norms around deference and respect were disintegrated all over the world (David, 2018).
With the 2008 global economic crisis, many older persons who would ordinarily have retired continued working, fearing that their economic futures were not secure. As a result, the workforce is aging in the twenty-first century (Heggeness, Carter-Johnson, Schaffer, & Rockey, 2016). This creates certain challenges for management today, including the reality that the workplace now consists of multiple generations of workers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Issues such as ageism, appropriate motivational approaches, and the physical limitations of older workers must all be addressed. With more than a third of today's workers now expecting to work past retirement age, an aging workforce is fast becoming a reality and creating an increased need for cultural competency with respect to age (Lassila, 2019).
References
Albom, M. (2019). Jabs at Joe Biden mask our growing ageism issue. Retrieved from
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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.
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Lassila, S. (2019). Managing risks of an aging workforce. Construction Executive, 2020. Retrieved from https://constructionexec.com/article/managing-risks-of-an-aging-workforce
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U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2018). Employment discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/fs-relig_ethnic.cfm
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