What Is Ageism and How Do We Tackle It?
Facilitated Discussion by Alysia Kehoe, Kehoe Consultants, LLC
Hilary Young recently wrote a great post about ageism on the Right at Home blog.
She points out that,”when the World Health Organization (WHO) kicked off its anti-ageism campaign in 2018, they wanted to educate the global community about the high prevalence of ageism. WHO defines ageism as the “stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination towards people on the basis of age. [It] stems from the perception that a person might be too old or too young to be or to do something.”
“An article in the New York Times on the prevalence of ageism noted that there is a significant amount of social acceptance of ageism in American culture — from television, social media, and even daily interactions. But the article also cited research that suggests educating people about ageism can help them overcome it.”
Implicit Ageism – What is it?
“Implicit ageism refers to the subconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviors that shape a person’s attitude toward older or younger people. This type of bias is believed to be unconscious, meaning that a person could be exhibiting discriminatory behavior without really being aware of what they are doing, or why. Ageism, whether conscious or not, can still be hurtful to experience.”
“Unconscious bias can still lead to older people not being hired for jobs they are qualified for, being treated unfairly, or even being neglected or overlooked. Implicit ageism also factors into how we feel about ourselves as we grow older.”
Combating Ageism
“Education and awareness are the best ways to fight ageism, along with what WHO describes as a collective, concerted and coordinated effort worldwide. The WHO Global Campaign to Combat Ageism “aims to build a world for all ages by changing the way we think, feel and act towards age and aging.”[iv] In order to achieve those goals, they continue to do research on ageism, including how it is experienced, how it is measured, and the consequences associated with it, as well as build awareness for ageism through a global coalition of stakeholders.”
Hillary offers several solutions:
1.” Volunteer your time with older people. When you’re getting information from mediums such as television, film and social media, it can be hard to move beyond stereotypes. By spending time with older people on a regular basis, you can experience firsthand how complicated and non-linear aging can be. Instead of seeing all older people as being the same, you can start to recognize the diversity, vulnerability and beauty in growing older. Empathy is the first step in breaking discriminatory thoughts and habits.”
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia: Several times a month, spend some time with someone who is 10 years older than you to get a perspective for yourself of where you may be in ten years and how to look ahead to the future. Also meet with individuals who are 10 years younger than yourself; it will give you a fresh perspective on how they look at issues and apply technology. Learn from them as well!
2. “Start a meditation practice. When bias is seen as being unconscious, it can be hard to be aware of how your own behavior is affected, but a regular meditation practice can help you become more mindful of your own behavior and discriminatory thoughts.”
3.” Encourage local businesses to hire older adults (or, if you run a business, hire older adults). Older people have a great amount of life experience and a lot to offer businesses. In New York City, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health’s Age Smart Employer program has helped a number of businesses hire, train, retain and support workers over the age of 50, and the results have been beneficial to everyone involved. Other businesses across the country have implemented similar programs, and report having older workers on board to be beneficial to their business. By encouraging inter-generational interactions in the workplace, younger people can shape the way they view older people based on real-life interactions, rather than what they see portrayed in the media.”
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia: When recruiting always have an ‘open funnel’ approach; by encouraging a cross section of people and ages to apply for your company’s employment opportunities. The richness that multi – generations bring to the work culture is priceless.
“As with any issue that needs to be addressed, acknowledging the problem is the first step toward finding a solution. Take some time to examine your own implicit biases, and think about how you can take action to combat them.”