Help
Stamp Out Ageism! (Re-printed from National Gray Panthers publication
"Network" Volume 1, Issue 2, September/October 1995, page 14.) Gray Panthers is an
intergenerational organization dedicated to bring together young, old, women,
men, persons of all ethnic, racial and economic backgrounds for the promotion
of social justice. http://www.graypanthersmetrodetroit.org/Ageism.html
Step
I - Define It
Ageism
is:
· Discrimination
based on chronological age.
· The
notion that people cease to be persons by virtue of having lived a specific number
of years.
· The
use of age to define capability and roles.
· A
process of systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people just because
they are old.
·
To be told "you're too old" is as
disheartening as to be told "you're too young"; both statements make
you a stereotype when in fact you are an individual.
Step
II - How to Identify Ageists
1.
The Pretenders - These
are misguided older folks who believe that age is "all in your head".
2.
The Discriminators - Some of their best friends are old, so how could
they be ageist? However, they are quick to point out the realistic
limitations of older applicants to jobs in their sphere of influence.
3.
The Exceptionalists - These elders consider themselves the fortunate exceptions
to society's negative view of old people. While they think of themselves
as vigorous, productive and useful to society, they imagine most of their peers
to be in bad shape, useless and boring.
4.
The Colonists - This type is frequently found among politicians, and
is not at all rare in the ageism establishment. They may easily be
identified because they always preface any word for the ageing with the
possessive pronoun, such as "OUR senior citizens" or "MY
elderly".
5.
The Patronizers - This garden variety is commonly found in senior
programs. To them, the old are
just delightful when in "their place" and, like children, should be
catered to and played with.
Step
III - (The Hardest Step to Accept) We are ALL ageist.
Whether
we're young, middle-aged or old, whether we've taken courses in gerontology or
not, whether we think we're immune or too well-meaning to be afflicted, we are
all ageists.
We're
ageist because the society we live in is permeated with ageism. We can no more
escape it than we can the chemicals in our food-- or sexism or racism for that
matter. But at least in the case of the other two social diseases,
there's been some progress and some serious efforts to combat them. Ageism, by
comparison, has been analyzed very little and manifests itself in many
variations with hardly a challenge.
Step
IV - What You Can Do to Help Stamp Out Ageism
1.
Quit complimenting people on how young they look.
2.
Promote intergenerational job sharing, part-time hours, and no hiring or retirement
according to a plan based on chronological age.
3.
Try not to blame old age for fatigue or disorganization or forgetfulness.
In our youth, we blame poor planning, lack of sleep, and a bad memory.
4.
Criticize your local news media when a headline or cartoon is offensive.
5.
When selecting a birthday card, keep your sense of humor. Just learn the difference
between laughing WITH rather than laughing AT.
6.
Fight ageism with two important weapons -- knowledge and a willingness to approach
every person, regardless of age, as an individual with unique strengths,
weaknesses, options, and opportunities.
The Old Women’s Project
Ageism — the attitudes and practices that ignore, patronize,
insult or trivialize old women — affects women of all colors, ethnicities,
classes, sexualities, abilities. It is a form of sexism — very old, very
powerless, very frail old men are seen as if they
were women, just as gay men are sometimes treated with contempt as if they were
women. Ageism is a central issue
for women, because as long as we are erased in the last third of our lives, we
will continue to have perilous footing during the other two thirds.
HOW
TO KNOW IF YOU'RE BEING AGEIST: A HANDY GUIDE FROM THE OLD WOMEN'S PROJECT
LANGUAGE POLICE
WHY NOT "CUTE"? "Cute" is what
younger people call an old woman when she does or says something that surprises
them because it is just what a normal person would do or say. Example: if she engages in,
or even refers to, sexual activity.
WHY NOT "FEISTY"? "Feisty"
is an automatic putdown — its origin is "excitable, like a mongrel
dog" — that is frequently used in newspapers to describe an old woman who
is in any way outspoken, determined, or who engages in political protest. Example: "Mary Jones, a
feisty 86-year-old, had a different opinion."
WHY NOT "SWEET"? When
an old woman is not "feisty," she is rewarded by being told she is
"sweet."
WHY NOT "SPRY"? As you see more of us in
gyms, this word is used less often since it expresses surprise that a woman in
her 60s or 80s should be even a little active.
WHY NOT "LITTLE"? WHY NOT "LADY"? Some of us are short and some of us are tall. We are still
women, not "little old ladies."
WE ARE NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER. "You
remind me of my grandmother." Why don't we ever remind younger people of
their sister, cousin, best friend back in Boston? We are not defined by our ages, but by our interests and our
personalities.
ALL OF THESE WORDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLIMENTS. ALL OF THESE WORDS ARE
SEGREGATING, PATRONIZING, INSULTING.
RULE OF THUMB: If there's something you wouldn't say to a 35-year-old
woman, don't say it about a 75-year-old woman.
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