Communica on skills exam:
Today I will be evalua ng the ethical implica ons of an interes ng term coined by Robert
Butler almost 50 years ago- Ageism.
Ageism is a way to describe the negative and unfair treatment of older people by society.
Butler described the phenomenon of ageism as a form of bigotry, a personal revulsion to and
distaste for growing old, and developing diseases and disabilities. Ageism can be defined as a
form of culturally based age bias that involves restrictiveness of behaviour or opportunities
based on age this is age-based stereotyping and distorted perception in the service of
maintaining such stereotypes whether positive or negative.
Proceeding to the cons of ageism, every second person in the world is believed to hold ageist
a tudes – leading to poorer physical and mental health and reduced quality of life for older
persons, cos ng socie es billions of dollars each year. This is neither healthy, nor economic
and has serious repercussions for the standard of living in a country.
The response to control the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled just how widespread ageism
is – older and younger people have been stereotyped in public discourse and on social
media. In some contexts, age has been used as the sole criterion for access to medical care,
lifesaving therapies and for physical isola on.
Although the mind immediately ponders upon the disadvantages of ageism, even this form
of social segrega on has indispensable bene ts. Positive views of aging and older adults
include characterizations of older adults as calm and cheerful- humans typically associate
older adults as living a life of leisure with no worries regarding work.
They are also viewed as helpful and intelligent- this is because their opinion is typically held in
high regards as they are assumed to be experienced and knowledgeable.
They are further viewed as more reliable, engaging in less criminal activity, volunteering more,
as well as having a better social status.
Senior citizens may also receive unique benefits of being older such as retail discounts, low-
rent housing, pensions, and special health care in certain countries.
While the emphasis on negative views of aging and older persons may be intentional to bring
attention to the fact that ageism and negative views of aging are significant and warrant study
and further action, the unintentional under-emphasis of the studies of positive views of aging
and older persons is also problematic. This results in an insufficient understanding of the
positive aspects of growing older as well as an insufficient understanding of how to improve
the lives of older persons and intergenerational relations.
Within the boundaries of ageism itself, there exists a social hierarchy which seems to have a
potent hand in determining whether an individual faces the negative or positive consequences
of ageism. Poor older black women are much more likely to be victims of elder abuse than
affluent, older white men, for example. In fact, affluent elder men are often likely to
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experience positive ageism, as they are accorded patriarchal respect and enjoy several
institutional biases, such as accumulated wealth along with Medicare, which is free health
care reserved exclusively for seniors. . These differences in what ageism means for different
elderly populations, and consequent differences in abuse or privilege, is what encourages a
need for a remedy to this social issue.
Policies and laws that address ageism, educa onal ac vi es that enhance empathy and
dispel misconcep ons, and intergenera onal ac vi es that reduce prejudice all help combat
ageism.
All countries and stakeholders are encouraged to use evidence-based strategies, improve
data collec on and research and work together to build a movement to change how we
think, feel and act towards age and ageing.
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