Examples Of Ageism In Society Today

Ageism in Today’s Society The definition of discrimination, as described by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment.” While there are many forms of discrimination in the workplace of today, there is only one type that this paper is concerned with, and that is age discrimination. The analysis of Ageism can be broken down into different parts: the meaning, types, causes, ways to prevent or stop Ageism, as well as the benefits of reducing Ageism. Dr. Robert Butler was the man who coined the term “Ageism” in 1986. Many people often mistake what the term Ageism really means. Not only do people mistake the meaning, but they do not care much for the problem, and this is a result of not knowing

This quote from Brownell gives insight into what ageism truly is. By knowing what Ageism means, it can be broken down into different contexts and forms. The first type of Ageism is Personal Ageism: "Personal ageism is defined as ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and practices on the part of individuals that are biased against persons or groups based on their older age" (Brownell). Personal is the first type of Ageism as described by Brownell, and is more about the personal side of ageism that can affect the individual more than the group of older workers as a whole. The Personal type is usually committed by someone close to the individual or that the individual is familiar with, such as a co-worker. The next type of Ageism is the Institutional: "Institutional ageism is defined as missions, rules, and practices that discriminate against individuals or groups because of their older age" (Brownell). Here is the second type of ageism, the Institutional, which is more about the ways of discriminating by a group of people that does not necessarily have to know the individuals they are discriminating against. The third type of Ageism is Intentional: "Intentional ageism include ideas, attitudes, rules, or practices that are carried out with the

This type is planned out by the person who commits the discrimination and who has a known biased against an individual. Then, there is the Unintentional type of Ageism: "Unintentional ageism, or inadvertent ageism, include ideas, attitudes, rules, or practices that are carried out without the perpetrators’ awareness that they are biased against persons or groups based on their older age" (Brownell). This type of ageism is the unintentional, when a person does not mean to commit age discrimination, but does so without even knowing that they are carrying out these actions which are deemed discriminatory. The final type of age discrimination is the Positive: "Another definition of ageism includes positive ageism as any prejudice for or against an age group, such as assuming all old people are wiser and happier than younger people" (Brownell). This is a more positive type of Ageism and this shows that maybe not all of the population is bad, that there is still some good in this world and that with this positive type of Ageism, the negative type can be combated. Brownell also discusses