Ageism is about more than disrespecting seniors

The past century has witnessed a broadening recognition of how society has been structured to impose an inferior status on certain types of people or groups based on their physical, cultural or behavioural characteristics. Social movements to address such disparities began over a century ago with the suffragist campaign to grant new rights to women, joined later by the movements to expand equal rights and dignity to people regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The record shows considerable progress in advancing civil rights and broadening respect for people and groups historically subject to prejudice, secondary status and often violence, although much still remains to be done in achieving equal treatment for all.

Ageism is a more recent entry to the list of marginalized categories. It can be defined generically as discrimination directed at people because of their age, but is almost always considered to be about how society treats (or mistreats) its older people. Prejudice against older people is relatively new in historical terms, reflecting a profound change from previous eras when elders were widely respected and often dominated positions of power and status. In today’s rapidly changing world, what was once valued in elders for their wisdom and connection to the past no longer seems to count for much as it once did.

Such marginalization of seniors is happening at the same time this cohort is rapidly expanding as a proportion of the population, and also living the best lives of any previous older generation in terms of longevity, health, financial security and overall quality of life. By most indicators, older Canadians today are doing comparatively better than their children and grandchildren, many of whom are struggling with economic insecurity, limited social connections and poor mental health.

It is clear that many older people face prejudice and in some cases abuse due to their age, and this calls for attention and intervention. There are prevailing negative attitudes and stereotypes associated with growing old and being elderly, and this is embodied in discriminatory practices and institutional policies (e.g., in nursing homes) that demean people, which only further perpetuate the stereotypes.

At the same time, it is important to think more clearly about what we call ageism, in terms of who is affected and how it fits within the broader spectrum of discriminatory “isms” that run through our society.

As a starting point, we need to recognize that age-based discrimination is not just directed at older people, as is broadly assumed, but also at people in younger generations. Important evidence for this reality is provided in a 2024 survey conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the National Institute on Ageing. The survey found that one in seven (14%) Canadians ages 50 and over have at some point in their lives been treated unfairly because of their age. These experiences, however, have occurred at all life stages, not just in later years. Among those who report such incidents, significant proportions say such age-based discrimination took place when they were a child (24%), a young adult (20%) or in middle age (31%); reports of such experiences at these earlier life stages were most common among Canadians ages 50 to 64. Canadians 65 plus who report age-based discrimination are most likely to say this happened to them when they were an older person, but a significant minority also indicate such incidents took place in their younger years. Another survey conducted by the Environics Institute in 2021 revealed that it is Canadian workers ages 18 to 30 who most commonly experience discrimination in the workplace.[1]

This evidence points to the importance of broadening our thinking about ageism as a category of social prejudice, and appreciate that stereotypes get applied to different life stages (e.g., irresponsibility of youth, diminished capacities in old age). This extends not only to ingrained attitudes but to public policies that intentionally or otherwise favour one generation over another. Some public commentators insist that current public policy in Canada is unfairly tilted in favour of seniors who benefit from high value property ownership and generous Old Age Security payments, at the expense of younger adults unable to afford home ownership and child care.

Beyond broadening our scope of who in society is affected by ageism, the concept also needs to be understood for how it is distinctive from other forms of group-based discrimination. Unlike other identity markers such as race or gender, age is transitory rather than fixed. Every one of us is born as an infant, and passes through each life stage until the end. As we grow our perspectives and experiences evolve; when young we may acquire distorted stereotypes of seniors, but then later in life learn first-hand what it’s like to be someone in advanced years.

Another way in which age differs from other forms of identity is in the close and typically intimate way we  interact with others in different generations, as parents, children and with other family relations. In this way, we all have close relationships with others in different stages of life much more so than might be the case with other people who have a different skin colour, religion or sexual orientation. This gives most of us familiarity with people who are older or younger than ourselves, reducing the likelihood of seeing them through blunt stereotypes and easier to disrespect.

Finally, some identity markers like race are fixed by socially constructed attributes (e.g., intelligence, cleanliness) that endure as widely-held stereotypes despite having no biological or functional basis. By comparison, many of the stereotypes assigned to older people – however inappropriate in many cases – are grounded in the reality that declining physical and cognitive capacities are an inevitable part of the human life span. It is not ageism to recognize that older people in general (or specific people one knows) no longer have the abilities as they once did. What is ageism is judging someone critically (e.g, belittling or excluding them) and without compassion on the basis of their age.

Age-based discrimination is nothing new in human society, and the forms it takes in today’s world require our attention. This form of social dysfunction poses unique challenges, but also opportunities. Ageism is taking place at every stage of life – by those perpetuating stereotypes and disrespect, and by those who are on the receiving end – at some point in our lives we may find ourselves in one of these roles, and later on in the other. We are all in this together, and in this there is potential for new understanding and compassion for others.

[1] https://www.torontomu.ca/diversity/reports/experiences-of-discrimination-at-work/