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Ageism-Does it Exist? Does it matter?

Ageism is alive and well. Not only is it practiced in official capacities, it is also thriving in our social situations. It is harmful to people, especially older adults and their families.

The term “ageism” refers to two concepts:

  1. A socially constructed way of thinking about older persons based on negative attitudes and stereotypes about aging.
  2. A tendency to structure society based on an assumption that everyone is young, thereby failing to respond appropriately to the real needs of older persons.

If you are an older person, you may feel rejected by the younger people around you. You may feel that even family members would rather be with younger members of the family than you. Eventually, you might withdraw from those family events.

In time, you might withdraw from membership in organizations you have joined. You may no longer want to go to community events that involve groups of people.

Media messages of crime against older people may make you fearful of going out to public places. You might begin to avoid places like downtown stores and malls. As your social circle becomes smaller and smaller, you will be spending the majority of your time alone.

Ageing without social connections has serious and far-reaching consequences for the well-being of older people. As well as experiencing social isolation and loneliness, they have poorer physical and mental health, greater financial insecurity, and decreased quality of life. Premature death can be an outcome.

How do older people feel about ageing?

Life becomes more difficult as you age. You may become unsteady and need to ask grocery clerks to reach for things for you. You may be embarrassed by the impatient behavior of younger people who you feel judge you and see you as doddering and feeble.

You may have people in your life, like friends and family, who take note of your behavior. They may notice something you may have forgotten, like appointments or social commitments. When they remind you, you may become angry and defensive. You may fear that you will lose your independence, something you treasure a great deal.

If you drive a car, you feel younger drivers disrespect you by blowing their car horns or pressing the gas pedal to roar past you. You know your right to drive is tenuous, and subject to how well you manage your vehicle and the driving rules. You are extra careful to observe these rules and drive safely to avoid having these rights revoked.

If you are employed at an advanced age, you feel you are being watched for signs of being incompetent at what you do. You know that you have experience and wisdom, but you also feel that your contribution is not as valued as it used to be, so you are extremely careful not to make mistakes.

You have done some research, and you know that ageism in the workplace exists. It frequently occurs in public situations, and is an alarmingly common problem. Not only do 62 percent of workers 50 and above believe older workers face age discrimination, but over 93 percent believe that ageism in the workplace happens regularly and is accepted.

Although you know about these statistics, you feel you are still competent, and want to contribute as long as possible.

In Canada

The Human Rights Commission states,

“Ageism is often a cause of individual acts of age discrimination and discrimination that is more systemic in nature, such as in the design and implementation of services, programs and facilities. 

“Age discrimination is often not taken as seriously as other forms of discrimination.  However, it can have the same economic, social and psychological impact as any other form of discrimination.

“Human rights principles require people to be treated as individuals and assessed on their own merits, instead of on the basis of assumptions, and to be given the same opportunities and benefits as everyone else, regardless of age.  It is important to recognize that older persons make significant contributions to our society and that we must not limit their potential.”

The Human Rights Charter guarantees age- equality rights and all human rights jurisdictions that classify age as a protected ground of discrimination. The Charter applies to the public sector, government laws and policies, but it unfortunately does not apply to private entities.

This act defines discrimination as an action or a decision that results in the unfair or negative treatment of person or group because of their race, age, religion, sex, etc. Some types of discrimination are illegal under federal and provincial human rights laws.

If you are the victim of discrimination under the Act, you can file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Ageism, however, is one type of discrimination that has not been addressed due to being so difficult to enforce.

Section 13(1) of the Human Rights Code forbids discrimination in employment. But, section 13(3)(b) says that section 13(1) does not apply to the operation of certain “bona fide” plans based on marital status, physical or mental disability, sex or age.

In British Columbia

B.C. has a law to protect and promote human rights called the BC Human Rights Code. The Code protects you from being treated badly or being denied a benefit because of your age.

Section 13(1) of the Human Rights Code forbids discrimination in employment. But, section 13(3)(b) says that section 13(1) does not apply to the operation of certain “bona fide” plans based on marital status, physical or mental disability, sex or age.

In the United States

In the United States, age discrimination involves treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of his or her age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older.

In Geneva

At the Geneva conference in 2022, fifty individuals from around the world were recognised as part of the first ever Healthy Ageing 50: leaders transforming the world to be a better place to grow older. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Ghebreyesus said,

“The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing offers us an unprecedented opportunity to put in place the right policies and services, so that more people experience later life in good health and can continue to do the things they value.

“I have the pleasure of recognising these world-changing leaders who, often with limited resources, show what can be done – and how – to improve health and well-being for older persons.”

16 thoughts on “Ageism-Does it Exist? Does it matter?”

  1. i am wrting about caregiving this blig re ageism needs all the attention both by aging population and thisenit wuite there yet it really effects everyone keep up the goid work

    1. Still the Lucky Few

      Marcia, I am having difficulty seeing your comment on the blog—It doesn’t show up the regular way. Possibly the comment window is hard to see on your computer. Maybe you could try again, since your comment is very topical! Thanks.

    2. good grief sirry about babbling message yesterday morning i was
      wirking on the lastchapter of book re caregiving and reading your blog at the same time they are both such relevant topics thanks for excellent info we need mire attention to both topics

  2. I’ve been thinking about agism a lot lately. It puzzles me a great deal, as I admired and adored my Grandparents, and still, decades after their passing, I miss them greatly.
    I’ve noticed the intensity of agism increases the older I get, and have come to the conclusion that aging scares the pants off most young people, who don’t want to do it, and are willing to “shoot the messenger” (older people by their very existence) in order to alleviate their fears.

    Inclusion is becoming rarer and rarer in human culture, for people of all ages. The digital revolution has harmed us one and all by dividing and conquering our social interactions… as one young man said when his cell phone was stolen, “it is like losing my best friend.” How sad, how true.

    We found that our time in quarantine at the beginning of the pandemic was actually a blessing. We did not miss trying to mix with frantic, driven, impatient, disrespectful, rude, etc. people. It gave us the opportunity to choose our interactions carefully, with people we like and respect.

    I have come to the point, when facing systemic agism, such as at the bank, to play it as my hand. I use the blatant assumptions about my age to my advantage. It seems a bit unkind to play to people’s weaknesses, but really, when those weaknesses display intolerance, they deserve to be disrespected.

    Here is an example of agism from this week: the CIBC has my small retirement RIF. When I had to renew it at maturity I was given a lower interest rate, which I challenged, and was told it was lower because, “it is a RIF”. The money won’t stay at that bank much longer, I will be cutting them out of my life and moving on to a less agist institution.

  3. Ageism can be subtle. It often shows up in everyday conversation, and goes unchallenged. I believe it should always be challenged, especially because challenging ageist comments made unthinkingly can make people more aware of their unconsciously held attitudes and beliefs, particularly the belief that being young is better than being old. The Old Women’s Project website has some brilliant examples of how to respond to ageist comments — see: http://www.oldwomensproject.org/index.htm

    1. Still the Lucky Few

      Elder woman, thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, most older people do not feel comfortable confronting someone who has made an ageist remark or shown disrespect toward them. Many of them just walk away, thinking it will not help, and will possibly make matters worse. To most of them, younger people seem to have more power, and certainly know more about social media and technology, two ways where most of these interactions are played out.

  4. Still the Lucky Few

    Maggie, I like the way you handled the situation at your bank! I think you are well justified to go to another place for your business. I live in an area (Oak Bay), where a high percentage of the population is older and retired. I find all business people very welcoming toward us. Of course, we are their bread and butter!

  5. Good post, Diane. It’s a topic most people avoid, but getting older is something that will happen to only the lucky ones. I used to dread getting older, but it sure is better than the alternative.

  6. Still the Lucky Few

    No truer words were said, Anneli! And you are right, most people avoid admitting they are getting older. Even discussing it seems difficult, as if having our heads in the sand about getting older will make it easier!

  7. It’s so easy to stick people in boxes and it seems that disparaging someone due to their age is still okay in a lot of circles. Is doesn’t help that many older people cling on to their (long gone) youth like somehow aging is a disease. Unfortunately, I think this attitude is here to stay, at least in my lifetime.

  8. Still the Lucky Few

    Yes, Janis, with sexism and racism, etc. becoming more and more polarized, ageism is the one ‘ism’ people feel safe in using. It’s tough to combat it. But I feel that it’s an important issue, no matter how uncomfortable. I always think that being ageist is so very short sighted—after all, we will all get there eventually, if we are lucky!

  9. Still the Lucky Few

    RR, your positive view is very welcome! I agree that ageism is subtle—harder to pinpoint, and harder to confront!

  10. I applied for a volunteer job with my town recently. The board turned me down in favor of a younger woman. Ageism? Sexism? Or maybe she was just more qualified than I was. Who knows? It’s pretty hard to claim ageism when our U.S. president is 80 years old, and the average age of Congress is about the same.

  11. I’m sorry you were turned down for that position. Sometimes it’s just a case of the winning candidate knowing someone on council personally. That’s not fair, but it does happen. If that position was important to you, don’t give up. There will always be another opportunity.

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