The Controversial Issue of Age Discrimination - Report Example

YOUR HERE HERE April 4, The Controversial Issue of Age Discrimination The attached research paper identifies the controversies surrounding aging and the many prejudices and stereotypes that are attached to growing old. In American society, the elderly person (those over age 65) are often considered to be less viable than their younger counterparts and are often left to nursing homes or simply abandoned to live their lives in solitude. The paper describes the many symptoms of this type of discrimination and the impact it has on the older citizen. Growing old is a difficult period and, in some foreign cultures, the elderly are considered wise and revered figures with much to offer in terms of advice, knowledge and friendship. However, in this culture the problem plagues many senior citizens and they have difficulty finding employment or alternative recreational activities to resting or mere television-viewing in solitude. For your review are the controversies surrounding aging and the types of discrimination they experience during their latter years. Some people have a difficult time with aging and they often develop many emotional problems due to their status labels which can lead to behavioral problems. The looks at the issue from the view of general society and from the rather personalized perspective of the senior citizen. Sincerely YOUR NAME HERE The Controversial Issue of Age Discrimination When people in society reach the age of 65, they are often the victims of multiple types of discrimination that can impact their emotional well-being. The old-world notion of growing old gracefully seems to have lost its traditional meaning and has somehow been replaced with a more negative view of growing old that creates mental and lifestyle difficulties for the older citizen. Growing old is difficult enough for the individual without necessarily being exposed to stereotypical viewpoints that consider them less-capable and less-vibrant than the younger generations. However, these discriminatory opinions are ever-present in society and they often leave the senior citizen lonely and abandoned when they are rejected by the younger social norm that values beauty and youth vitality. Especially noticeable in the female elderly group, senior-aged women have a difficult time coping with the realities of the physical transformations that are occurring each and every year. One recent study identified that these women had serious emotional problems associated with graying hair, wrinkles, sagging skin, and other advanced aging symbols. So heavy is this distress that they considered themselves “invisible to others as potential and worthy romantic partners or employees” (Clarke & Griffin, 655). The women highlighted for the study were all over the age of 65 and attributed much of these personal feelings about themselves to the cultural beauty ideologies that were often displayed in different media formats, such as advertising (Clarke & Griffin). When women in this age category are exposed to constant cultural representation of beauty and youth, it is not surprising that they have problems with issues of depression or loneliness, especially when they cannot find romance or a career due to advanced age. Loneliness is common for this group and is a predictor for depression, mental health problems, early mortality, and even suicidal thoughts (Hawkley, Hughes, Waite, & Masi, 2008). These are serious mental and physical outcomes that could likely have been prevented if they were not exposed to social stereotyping, from many different social groups, on a daily basis. It is a common value to seek love and social companionship and is a basic human need that requires fulfillment regardless of their age category. The cultural ideal that older people have lost their importance in society, coupled with their emotional problems with physical signs of aging, would seem to explain why seniors’ motivational levels decrease further over time. When a senior citizen has been abandoned and is experiencing loneliness, they often do not get the proper treatment. In the medical community, practicing physicians often do not notice depressive symptoms and cannot provide them the necessary counseling or medication needed to help them (Benek-Higgins, McReynolds, Hogan & Savickas, 284). This could be because the medical community shares many of these same prejudices, therefore they do not seek to find out more about their emotional state when visiting for other physical health concerns. However, the evidence offers that this group is often victims of exploitation and abuse because of their perceived lack of intelligence at this age and are considered easy victims to target. Older people who have been victims of this type of exploitation “feel ashamed, humiliated, afraid, and even embarrassed to speak against it” because of the stigma given to the elderly (azag.gov, 1). To speak against such exploitation would seem to only reinforce that the prejudices and stereotypes are correct, therefore they simply deal with the depression of having been exploited; in solitude. Many younger people in society also tend to believe that older people have lost touch with contemporary society and simply do not understand how to assimilate to youth values. A recent survey supports this in which 75.4 percent of youths believed that educational programs designed specifically for seniors was the best way to help them relate better to younger people. The same study showed only 28.5 percent of seniors thinking this was a good idea (Browne, Kohn, & Taylor, 66). This study shows that young people believe that the senior citizen needs youth-based instruction in order to fully grasp the needs and motivations of young people, automatically assuming that the older person would be ill-equipped to handle this learning through observation or socialization with the youth group. It again reinforces that younger society holds many stereotypes about older citizens and tends to believe that the seniors have become much like small children in need of constant education. This is a far cry from foreign countries that value and honor their elderly for wisdom and experience. The difficult emotions that come with growing old create so many hardships for this group and when combined with various prejudices and stereotypes, it is not hard to see why age discrimination has become such a controversial issue. Whether left to abandonment, exploitation, abuse, or to manage their emotional instability alone, age discrimination and stereotyping is something that should be reconsidered at the social level. There should be an advocacy group or more classroom education about the true state of old age so that people can better relate to this very disadvantaged group. The genuine older American has needs that require fulfillment, just like their younger counterparts, however this support is virtually non-existent. Bibliography Azag.gov. “Financial Exploitation of the Elderly”, Arizona Elder Abuse Coalition, 2008. Viewed April 1, 2010 at http://www.azag.gov/seniors/FinancialExploitationoftheElderly.pdf This is a comprehensive report on the emotional problems with exploitation along with a detailed description of how these abuses and exploitations occur. A profile of the criminals involved often include family members or even friends and neighbors looking for financial reward or simply to seek harm. It shows the difficulties of speaking out against these practices based on how society views them. Benek-Higgins, M., C. McReynolds, E. Hogan & S. Savickas. “Depression and the Elder Person: The Enigma of Misconceptions, Stigma, and Treatment”, Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 2008. Vol. 30, Iss. 4, pp.283-295. This article offers the statistical information about older patient treatment and the tools that physicians use to diagnose health problems in this group. It further shows statistics on increases in actual suicide rates linked to senior citizen depression. It is a quality tool to link practicing medicine with senior health characteristics. Hawkley, L., M. Hughes, L. Waite & C. Masi. “From social structural factors to perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness”, The Journals of Gerontology, Washington, 2008. Vol. 63B, Iss. 6, pp.S375-S385. This article simply offers insight into what drives certain health issues, both mental and physical, when loneliness is a part of the older citizens’ lifestyles. Clarke, L. & M. Griffin. “Visible and invisible ageing: Beauty work as a response to ageism”, Ageing and Society, Cambridge, 2008. Vol. 28, Iss. 5, p.653-675. A detailed study of what drives women in senior age to develop their own sense of confidence and self-worth pertaining to aging. The physical and mental problems associated with age are identified to help give a better knowledge view of the older individual and the troubles they face in society and with younger cultural ideals. Brown, B., S. Kohn & C. Talor. “Young adult perceptions of how older people view the younger generation”, The Gerontologist, Washington, 2008. Vol. 48, p.66. A statistical and information study about the influence of media on older people and younger citizens’ views about each social group. It describes how these perceptions are built and offers suggestions about how to influence each group to think differently about the many cultural differences that exist between generations. Read More