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The Perils of Ageism
March 11, 2009Ageism is still rampant in America, and many old people themselves trade in unflattering stereotypes of the elderly, including helplessness and incompetence. Such caricatures are not only false and cruel, they are also unhealthy. Research has shown that old people who believe in negative age stereotypes tend to fulfill them.
And it may not just be the elderly who are harmed by ageism. A new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that young, healthy people who stereotype old people may themselves be at risk of heart disease many years down the road. Researchers Becca Levy and Martin D. Slade of the Yale School of Public Health, along with Alan B. Zonderman and Luigi Ferrucci from the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, examined data on hundreds of men and women who have been studied for almost four decades as part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Back in 1968, when scientists began studying these volunteers, they ranged in age from 18 to 49 and were all in good health. At that time, scientists gathered all sorts of information about the volunteers, including their attitudes toward the elderly. Their images of being old covered the gamut from very positive to very negative.
The researchers examined the health histories of all the volunteers, focusing on cardiovascular disease, and they discovered that there was a striking link between ageism early in life and poor heart health later on. That is, those who viewed old age in negative terms were much more likely to experience some kind of cardiovascular disorder over the next four decades. The scientists also looked at a subset of volunteers who didn't have any heart problems until after they were 60 - at least 21 years later - and found that these people were likely to have been negative about aging from early on. The episodes of heart disease could not be explained by smoking, depression, cholesterol, family history, or any of a myriad other possible risk factors.
What this suggests, the authors write, is that people are internalizing stereotypes of old age when they are still quite young - with far reaching consequences. This is the first scientific look at people maturing into the very people they have been unkindly caricaturing. It could be taken as a cautionary tale for those who think they'll never grow old.
Association for Psychological Science
What this suggests, the authors write, is that people are internalizing stereotypes of old age when they are still quite young - with far reaching consequences. This is the first scientific look at people maturing into the very people they have been unkindly caricaturing. It could be taken as a cautionary tale for those who think they'll never grow old.
Association for Psychological Science
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More Ageism Current Events and Ageism News Articles
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Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older Persons (Bradford Books) by Todd D. Nelson (Editor) Along with race and gender, people commonly use age to categorize—and form stereotypes about—others. Of the three categories, age is the only one in which the members of the in-group (the young) will eventually join the out-group (the old). Although ageism is found cross-culturally, it is especially prevalent in the United States, where most people regard growing older with depression, fear, and anxiety. Older people in the United States are stigmatized and marginalized, with often devastating consequences. Although researchers have paid a great deal of attention to racism and sexism, there has been a dearth of research on ageism. A major reason for this neglect is that age prejudice is still considered socially acceptable. As baby boomers approach retirement age,... |
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Aged by Culture by Margaret Morganroth Gullette (Author) Americans enjoy longer lives and better health, yet we are becoming increasingly obsessed with trying to stay young. What drives the fear of turning 30, the boom in anti-aging products, the wars between generations? What men and women of all ages have in common is that we are being insidiously aged by the culture in which we live. In this illuminating book, Margaret Morganroth Gullette reveals that aging doesn't start in our chromosomes, but in midlife downsizing, the erosion of workplace seniority, threats to Social Security, or media portrayals of "aging Xers" and "greedy" Baby Boomers. To combat the forces aging us prematurely, Gullette invites us to change our attitudes, our life storytelling, and our society. Part intimate autobiography, part startling cultural expose, this... |
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Ageism: Negative and Positive, 2nd Edition by Erdman Palmore PhD (Author) In this updated edition, Palmore provides a comprehensive review for many different forms of ageism including the interest notion of positive ageism, which projects onto the elderly as a group traditional virtues like wisdom. He discusses both individual and social influences on attitudes towards the aged; analyzes institutional patterns of ageism; and explores ways to reduce the impact of ageism on the elderly. This book is a valuable resource and text for students and professional interested in the sociology of aging in our society. |
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Look Me in the Eye: Old Women, Aging and Ageism by Barbara MacDonald (Author), Cynthia Rich (Author) Still a breaking-through-the-barriers book after 22 years, this expanded edition of the classic begins with a tribute by Lise Weil, "In the Service of Truth: Remembering Barbara Macdonald." Barbara died at the age of 86 in June 2000. It also contains two talks Barbara gave, "Professionalism Is Not Benign" and "Old Women's Human Rights." An afterword by Cynthia Rich points to the impact Barbara made on the understanding of women and ageing and promises that she will continue to have a major impact on our lives. "Barbara was the first to identify ageism as a central feminist issue...to point out that young women's alienation from old women, their dread of becoming them, their revulsion toward old women's bodies, is the direct result of society ('Your power as a younger woman is... |
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Sexism plus Ageism = RAGEism - 2 (6 Postcards) (For Hillary Clinton Supporters only) by AlexLOGIC Send the Hillary Clinton Protest Postcards to anyone who might be able to make a difference. Delegates, Super Delegates, legislators, Television, Radio and Newspaper pundits. |
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Ageism by Bill Bytheway (Author) This book builds bridges between the wider age-conscious culture within which people live their lives and the world of the caring professions. The literature on age prejudice and ageism is reviewed and set in a historical context. A wide range of settings in which ageism is clearly apparent are considered. The author identifies a series of issues that are basic in determining a theory of ageism. 'It is...for the bold cliches about ageing...that I particularly commend it...I hope that when I need to look to a social worker for help I will have the good fortune to fall into the hands of one who has studied this valuable book' - Margaret Simey, Community Care. |
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Encyclopedia Of Ageism (Religion and Mental Health) by Erdman Ballagh Palmore (Editor), Laurence Branch (Editor), Diana K. Harris (Editor) Learn more about age discrimination and how it affects us all The Encyclopedia of Ageism is a comprehensive review of over 125 aspects of ageism, alphabetically arranged for easy access. Written by 60 experts, the book examines topics such as anti-aging, stereotypes, and the media—with numerous references for further information. You'll find an alphabetical list of the entries, a detailed index, and a list of the entries categorized by subject, to help you find what you need fast. This resource will increase your awareness about the many facets of ageism and provide you with a wealth of concepts, theories, and facts about ageism. This important resource exposes the many faces of dehumanization through the elder neglect and prejudice that results from today's... |
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