Aging and Disability Worksheet
Ben Hayes
Eth125
November 3, 2013
Michael Laird
Associate Program Material
Aging and Disability Worksheet
Part I
Identify 2 or 3 issues faced by the aging population.
1. Social Isolation
2. Retirement
3. Ageism
Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.
• “What is ageism? How does ageism influence the presence of diversity in society?”
Ageism is defined as prejudice and discrimination against older people. Schafer writes that for the ageist, elderly persons reflect the image of disease, death, and dying as well as a reminder that we will all be old one day. (2012, pp. 395-396). Another stereotype of the elderly is that they are slow and mentally dysfunctional. All of this is further emphasized by society’s fixation with youth and anti-aging, and the viewpoint that middle-age and younger is superior to old age maintains the elderly status as a subordinate group regardless of race or sex. Macionis writes that ageism compels older people to turn to youth enhancing medications such as Botox, and Viagra as well as plastic surgery to lessen the effects of aging and consequential ageism and age-based prejudice. ((2012, p. 122). Ageism influences the presence of diversity because those who are affected by ageism within their career may lose their job because of newer, younger, cheaper people coming into the workplace to take over their current position. This may leave older workers without proper insurance to take care of their aging bodies which could result in earlier deaths and lack of diversity in the world. When the younger generations take over positions in the workplace that workplace will have a lack of diversity as well.
• “What is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? How does the ADEA address issues for the aging population?”
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was put into place in 1967 to prohibit...