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Ageism is not funny
By Melissa Martin, PhD
By writing humorous columns and articles about aging, I encourage
oldsters (including myself) to laugh and poke fun at the changes that
accompany our birthdays. However, ageism is not funny.
Betty White, an actress that is as sassy and playful as the day is
long, celebrated her 97th birthday in 2019. And Hollywood better not
try ageism with her. You’ve got to watch her “I’m Still Hot” music
video on YouTube. You go Golden Girl!
According to a 2018 AARP report, 64 percent of women said they’d been the target of or witnessed age discrimination.
Ageism is a term coined by Robert Butler (founding director of the
National Institute on Aging) in 1969. He used it to describe:
prejudicial attitudes toward older people, old age, and the aging
process; discriminatory practices against older people; and
institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about
older people.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (the federal law that
protects workers and job applicants 40 and over from age-based bias in
employment) had its 50th anniversary in 2018. But, ageism lives on in
the USA.
A 2018 report by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
proclaimed “Despite decades of research finding that age does not
predict ability or performance, employers often fall back on precisely
the ageist stereotypes the ADEA was enacted to prohibit. After 50 years
of a federal law whose purpose is to promote the employment of older
workers based on ability, age discrimination remains too common and too
accepted.”
According to the US Equal Opportunity Commission, almost a quarter of
all claims filed by workers are related to age-based discrimination.
www.eeoc.gov.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines ageism as the stereotyping,
prejudice and discrimination towards people on the basis of age. In
2016, a global campaign to combat ageism began to percolate. Ageism
happens around the globe as well.
Ageism in Ohio
The Ohio State University settled an age-discrimination lawsuit with
two former employees for $765,000, and committed to conduct training
sessions for prevention according to a 2018 article on the AARP website.
A Cuyahoga County jury awarded more than $28 million to a doctor who
sued the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for pushing him out because of his
age, according to a 2018 article at www.cleveland.com/.
In Ohio, a discrimination claim can be filed either with the state
administrative agency, Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), Equal
Opportunity Division or the federal administrative agency, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Books on Aging and Ageism
“From childhood on, we’re barraged by messages that it’s sad to be old.
That wrinkles are embarrassing, and old people useless.” Author Ashton
Applewhite believed them too—until she realized where this prejudice
comes from and the damage it does.
“This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” (2016) by Applewhite
explains the roots of ageism in history; looks at ageism in the
workplace and the bedroom; critiques the portrayal of olders as burdens
to society; and concludes with a rousing call to action.
“Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We
Age,” a 2019 book by Mary Pipher, examines the cultural and
developmental issues women face as they age. Pipher is a 71-year-old
psychologist.
The 2020 Aging in America Conference (sponsored by The American Society
on Aging) will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, March 24-27. The American
Society on Aging is an association of diverse individuals bound by a
common goal: to support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and
skills of those who seek to improve the quality of life of older adults
and their families. www.asaging.org.
“We contain all the ages we have ever been.”— Anne Lamott.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
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