ABSTRACT
Ageism largely remains a socially tolerated form of discrimination. From birthday cards to anti-ageing advertisements and comedy sketches, stereotypical ideas about older people and the ageing process abound. While generally trivialized in mainstream culture, this article argues that ageism is, in fact, a serious matter. Drawing from a growing evidence base, the article highlights the significant and largely detrimental impact that ageist stereotypes have on people’s outcomes in later life. It then goes on to analyse some of the possible mechanisms through which stereotypes generate this effect, and finally concludes with a brief outline of some of the psychosocial interventions that might enable older people to weaken or neutralize the toxic effects of internalized negative self-perceptions of ageing. Note: the structural and power relationship dimensions of ageism, while hugely important, are not considered within this article as its focus is on the psychological and emotional dimensions and their impact on personal health and well-being outcomes, an aspect of ageist stereotyping that is seldom discussed.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Guy Robertson is Director of Positive Ageing Associates, an organization specializing in promoting positive approaches to later life at both the personal and organizational levels, and Editor of the journal Working with Older People. Guy is a committed commentator on ageing issues with a long career bringing about positive change in services for older people. He was Head of the Local Government Association’s ‘Ageing Well’ Programme (which supported councils to prepare for an ageing society) until its conclusion in 2012. Previously Guy led work on prevention and early intervention at the Department of Health, within the Older People and Dementia division, and in particular led the support to the £60 m Partnerships for Older People Projects programme. He was also Head of Strategic Planning in a large urban social services department. His current focus is on positive ageing and he advises and supports people approaching later life to look at the emotional and psychological aspects of ageing. He has researched and written numerous reports on these and other subjects.