Why Ageism Have Appeared and Still Exists - Research Paper Example

 Ageism Abstract Many people in the early 1500s saw the world as modern. The lifecycle concept was introduced in this era. Life was separated into three stages with the old age as the last stage of the three. The old were perceived as wise and were expected to bear an articulated set of expectations. This paper delves into the definition of oppression, ageism, and respect to the elderly. The paper shows the dynamics of treating the elderly from the historical records, including real life examples of such treatment. The research also addresses the ultimate results of interacting with the elderly while addressing discrimination at all levels. Key Words: Ageism, Oppression, Elderly. Introduction Several abusive words like senile, decrepit, old fart and others have been used to describe the old. Ageism is a biased description of the aged. It is a form of discrimination that makes the young generation perceive the old as unproductive people who can hardly contribute actively to the society. A person was considered old when he or she reached the age of retirement (65 years). By the year 2009, people beyond the age of 65 made up 12.9% of the American population. The figure is expected to double by the year 2030, translating to approximately 39.6 million elderly people. Currently, the economic hardships and increased lifespan has prompted many to work until a later stage in life. There is no particular age when one can be dubbed old. However, society deems those who receive benefits like medical care, pensions and social security as old. The United States Bureau proposed an increase of the old beyond 65 years from 11.7 percent to 20.7 percent in the time span between 2001 and 2050. The media has influenced the issue of discrimination against the old since it paints the picture of being old as depressive, lonely and sad. As a result, the old have been under discrimination, hardly commanding respect from the youth. Stereotyping and the fact that society worships youthfulness have been the principal contributors of hopelessness among the old because they can no longer look slim, sexy, and full of energy. Discussion What is oppression of the elderly? Oppression is dominance over a group of people or person. The act of oppression is characterized by pointing out differences between two groups and attributing the differences to some form of negativity. Abuse of the old refers to the marginalization of the elderly on the grounds of unproductivity in society (Palmore, 1999). Discrimination prevents the elderly from enjoying the same rights as the youth. To the elderly, discrimination presents itself as a lack of care, insults and seclusion from the society. Oppression of the elderly is a social problem that calls for attention. Research shows that one out every five elderly people experience abuse in the form of insults, violence and lack of information. Additionally, elders with low economic standards and poor health face a lot of risks compared to elders with good health and higher economic class (Sargeant, 2011). How have the elderly been treated historically in our culture? Many cultures in history have relied on the elderly for guidance and customary knowledge. Not many people live up to 65; hence, the few who managed were a significant source of knowledge and their wisdom was greatly valued. However, from the early days of the formation of America, the young and middle-aged youths have dominated and eventually came up with the United States (Nelson, 2005). The old people became part of the minority according to the census. The elderly would engage in agriculture until the labor for as long as it would take because there were no laws made to the interest of the old. Then, they would serve a simple but critical role in the society of cultural preservation and providing council and solutions to community problems. The highly esteemed position the elderly held has been fading away, paving way for discrimination. One out of every five elderly people faces discrimination from the society. Through time, things have changed rampantly. Discrimination against the elderly does not only come from the society but the spousal concept. In some marriages, the older men tend to go for the younger girls leading to cases of violence in the marriages. Cases of mature people’s violence keep on emanating over the years but little is done about it. Moreover, elderly people with low socio-economic status tend to experience discrimination compared to the healthier and affluent aged people (Palmore, 1999). Some aged people got stigmatized and even ended up committing suicide. The elderly and sick tend to get social isolation and a greater amount of abuses from the most significant section of the society. What are some specific examples of discriminatory practices against the elderly? The aged face a number of discriminatory practices in the society. First, the aging face violence from the vast section of the society. Cases of the elderly suffering brutality tend to be on the rise with reports of rape cases surfacing around the globe. Several elderly people report having been abused by the younger people in the society. Additionally, some elderly people also get beaten up by their younger counterparts. Another discriminatory practice affecting the elderly is the case of insults that come from people they once took care of. This form of prejudice ranges from social entanglements to the workplace (Nelson, 2005). A person may have worked for a company for many years but over time he or she gets laid off by the management. Dismissal of the old is done to redirect clients to young people who are perceived as being competent and proactive. Reports by the non-governmental organizations supporting the elderly people show that 20% of the elderly people in countries around the globe complain of being mistreated or more so insulted. Such acts affect the elderly people psychologically, and they end up living in fear and depression. Moreover, the elderly also face abandonment and neglect, which translates to a lack of care from the other members of the society. Hence, in cases of sickness, they fight their illness alone and may even end up dying. Additionally, some of these elderly are malnourished because of improper diet and lack of food. They end up staying hungry and dehydrated for long periods since they cannot provide for themselves. Lack of nutritional support leads to unhealthy living and weakness. For this reasons, stigmatization has a negative impact on the elderly people in one way or the other. How do institutions support/oppress the elderly? Social institution The Social organization plays a significant role in oppressing the elderly. The society places a foundation on where the elderly exist. The international foundation of social workers has been on the frontline to ensure that aging-related policies address the diverse needs of the elderly with an ultimate goal of stopping their oppression. The agenda of this institution is to ensure the old lead decent lives without necessarily having to worry about the aging challenges. Some of the communities around the globe tend to take good care of their elderly through provision of meals and medical support. The elderly get the chance to address the problems affecting them through the international foundation of social workers (Atkinson, n.d). However, in some social settings, the elderly tend to be considered as people deemed to waste other people’s time. Hence, they end up getting neglected and abandoned. Educational institutions Educational institutions enhance the support for the elderly in the society. Students are taught on the importance of the elderly people in the society and the benefits of providing care to the elderly. In some settings, most curriculums incorporate education for the elderly into the normal school schedule. The elderly people can now acquire education in some specialized setting, overcoming prejudice that originates from poverty, ignorance and lack of power (Atkinson, n.d.). Education liberates the elderly, giving them an opportunity to afford a quality life. The knowledge ensures that they can engage in matters like curriculum planning and other corporate issues. Religious institutions Religious institutions base their foundations on good morals and virtues. Morals and virtues hold that each and every individual is precious and requires respect. The aim of religious associations tends to care and support the elderly. Moreover, the organizations set up by religious groups provide the elderly with financial support and counseling. Through the counseling and guidance sessions, the elderly feel appreciated and accepted in the society. The religious institutions are the main supporters of the fight against any form of discrimination. Healthcare institutions The healthcare institutions support and oppress the elderly concurrently. Some healthcare institutions prefer handling the young people and leave the elderly to be attended to later because they are seen as slow in acting and understanding. Some of these elderly do not receive medication and end up succumbing. Reports of elderly people not receiving medical attention in health institutions are discouraging and inhumane. However, medical institutions also play a role in supporting the elderly. In some of these health institutions, sections for the elderly people have been set up to ensure the elderly get proper medical attention and follow-up checks. The WHO provides health programs for the elderly on a wider scale, ensuring the elderly get the medical attention they need. What are the outcomes and implications of these interactions? Interactions of the elderly and the other members of the society lead to a positive perception of the elderly in a society. Effective interaction leads to support of the elderly in the community, improving their standards of living and well-being. The aim of medical attention is to provide the elderly with the best medical care possible (Nelson, 2005). Additionally, the interactions lead to a boost in the elderly nutritional status. Cases of malnutrition in the elderly are reducing gradually. In 2014, for instance, the WFO report stated that the number of elderly people affected by hunger globally reduced by a whopping 25%. Additionally, the aged enrich themselves with intellectual capabilities through educational programs. Hence, they can interact easily with other members of the society with a higher intellectual ability without feeling out of place. Moreover, the interaction enhances the general participation of the elderly in the societal decision-making, curbing cases of abandonment and discrimination of the elderly. Evidently, through the interactions the elderly with other members of the society, violence reduces and cases of sexual abuse decrease significantly. Productive plan for oppressive elderly patterns Micro level Micro level involves working with individual persons, their families or small unit groups (Atkinson, n.d.). This is aimed at studying the general functioning of the elderly, their interactions with the others and social institutions. The elderly need care, and support from the individual level. Any case of oppression to the aged people needs to be identified at the starting point and tackled before the problem becomes larger that can be handled. Usually, this brings change to a personal, family and interpersonal level. Hence, every member of society who is directly related to an elderly person should support and protect them from oppression. Mezzo level The stage entails handling the problems of oppression to the elderly at a wider platform and effecting changes. In this level, the problem may lead to psychological effects to the aged and the oppression challenge needs to be handled with lots of care (Hashizume, 2010). In this stage, it is vital to look critically at how these experiences and cases of oppression affect not only the elderly but also the people around as well. Close friends, family and human rights groups should establish the causes of the abuse and device solution for tackling the problems. Macro level At this stage, the problem tends to be advanced and requires one to look at the problem from all perspectives. Understanding the experiences of the elderly is crucial to ensuring that the problem is professionally handled. The elderly need psychological, financial and medical support. Handling such general matters is the objective at this level. Healthcare institutions, counsellors, education institutions and family need to come in and address the issue of social stigmatization. References Atkinson, D. (n.d.). The Elderly, Oppression, and Social-Change Counseling. Counseling and Values, 86-96. Hashizume, Y. (2010). Releasing From the Oppression: Caregiving for the Elderly Parents of Japanese Working Women. Qualitative Health Research, 830-844. Nelson, T. (2005). Ageism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Palmore, E. (1999). Ageism negative and positive (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Pub. Sargeant, M. (2011). Age discrimination ageism in employment and service provision. Farnham: Gower. Read More