Paper Example on Ageism in America

Introduction

Robert Butler, the man who coined the term ageism, referred to it as the process of systematic stereotyping as well as discrimination of people because they are old. They are categorized as senile, rigid in thought, and old-fashioned in terms of morality and skills. Ageism allows young people to see them as being different and progressively cease to identify the elders as human beings. Ageism is a social attitude, and it is a belief that older people can be treated in demeaning ways. Ageism mainly causes older people to be exploited, abused and neglected by the younger generation including their biological children. It is unfortunate because according to studies, 70% of the Americans who are old have experienced ageism.

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Argument

Age discrimination is common in workplaces, as well as social places in America. The young generation feel entitled to certain opportunities that their older counterparts have, and they begin to develop a negative attitude towards them and they begin to dis-empower the seniors. The Americans value youthfulness, vitality beauty and the ability to earn a large income, and aging is seen as a debilitating process that robs people of such high-priced attributes. The older population try to fit in to maintain those standards but unfortunately, aging is an uncontrollable natural process. The media in itself portrays elders as incompetent, superfluous and crabby, and hence the overall social attitude towards them becomes worse.

Encouragement to Charley

The overall attitude that is displayed by the young people in the gym is negative and stereotypic and it is the reason Charley leaves the gym depressed. Ageism negatively affects the old people as they might view themselves as a burden to society, and that is not true. Old people have demonstrated tremendous capabilities that have surprised many in the fields of entertainment, business, politics, and education. They have shown their ability to learn and experience new challenges in life, and hence leadership at old age is not an exception. The ability to lead and manage a political office cannot be judged by age, but the ability of one to deliver to the people. There are many examples of people who have demonstrated tremendous leadership skills at old age, for instance, Mahatma Gandhi.

Constructive Suggestions

There are many ways that ageism can be fought in American society and the following are some of the suggestions.

1. Advocacy- it is critical that the fight against ageism becomes one of the social agendas of the nation, just like racism, ethnicity and gender discrimination. There is a need to voice displeasure when people make a derogatory joke, which is related to age in the society. Advocating for older people is critical because they need to feel like valued members of society because they contribute a lot to the nation. Advocacy would help reduce the social burdens of health especially during old age, which is vital for economic development.

2. Social education- the American society needs to be educated widely on social morality and ethics. In an age where youthfulness and beauty have become priced commodities, morality has been poured down the drain, and hence respect for the older people is no longer valued. The American youth should be made aware that old age is a natural process that catches up with everyone and hence supports for the old should be made a priority.

3. Promoting intergenerational life- encouraging people of different generations to work together or rather interact together can help fight ageism significantly. Social events such as recreational sports can play a huge role in this process. Institutions such as colleges and universities can also encourage it, and thus helping people to appreciate one another at different levels, and hence stopping age-related stereotype.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ageism is a very crucial topic in the society that should be addressed. It is because a majority of old people are affected by age-related discrimination in the workplace, social events, sports among others hence affecting their overall health and productivity. Feelings of depression and age-related illnesses are highly contributed by ageism, and therefore it is important the American society is made aware of such effects.