Running head: AGEISM 1

Community Problem Report

Does the Criminal Justice Program at UTEP Deal with Ageism

Ricardo Torres

University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301
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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to gather resources and to identify which of my resources are

credible to my research question. The basic meaning of my research is to find information on my

topic (criminal justice) and my subject (ageism) and how they relate to my community (UTEP).

The problem is to confirm if there is an issue with ageism in the criminal justice program at

UTEP or if there has been one how was it changed and who it affected. The statement for this

paper is that there has not been any issues with ageism at UTEP. This research helped me

because it provided insight on my topic and taught more about my community but more

important, the essence of the discourse community at the University of Texas at El Paso.
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Does the Criminal Justice Program at UTEP Deal with Ageism

Age discrimination are the actions of discriminating against a person due to their age or

age group. It usually occurs within the older age group about forty-five years or older but in

some cases with the younger age group that is about twenty-five years and younger. With many

sources and research, the following information has brought only one answer to the research

question, but overall it depends on the reader’s point of view of how ageism can be approached

because it can go from a serious issue to a “bully” situation to almost a life threatening. In the

UTEP community there are thousands of students and hundreds of faculty with many variety of

age groups which can be concluded that no one is affected by ageism. There are age

discrimination factors that take place in the UTEP community, because there is evidence of age

discrimination at other universities, in the general public that makes the probability of ageism

existing very high at UTEP.

Ageism at Other Universities

Ageism is acting on Universities other than UTEP. A study led by the University of

Melbourne, goes some way in explaining why that's the case, at least from the perspective of

those who feel employers are discriminating against them because of their age because they are

too young and, in some cases, too old. A variety of cases occur which is why this source is very

useful because it shows how age discrimination populates in other places which helps students

research because there is no age discrimination factors in the local UTEP community. In college

communities, student are forced to act as a caregiver to their family members who were forced to

leave their jobs because of their age. This will cause the student to get a job and to go to school

to provide for more than themselves. So the act of ageism affects not only a certain age group but

all ages. According to Sutter, “Do ableism and ageism predict college students’ willingness to
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provide care for a family member with a chronic health condition?” (2017). Sutter prediction

about ageism towards older people is that the younger people will have to be obligated to take

care of them and go to school for young students. Sutter research predicts that as the years

progress ageism in this path will lead to more college students with caregiving responsibilities.

Which means that although it is not quite so noticeable during the present, we can expect to

notice ageism in these types of situations in just a couple of years. Sutter also claims, “there will

be an increasing number of college-age students who are introduced to informal caregiving

responsibilities. So not only does it affect the older workers who are getting replaced but the

younger ones who are forced to deal with more responsibilities other than their education.

Ageism in The Local Environment

Age discrimination can be caused due to college students who are caregivers that care for

older adults that were affected by ageism. Ageism in general occur in many incidents in the local

society that can affect everyone including the older class. According to Wilson, age

discrimination occurs when an older person is pressured in the workplace to leave. Under the

governments law a person’s career cannot be jeopardized solely because of age. Unfortunately,

many employers resort to subtler but equally damaging tactics to thin the ranks of older workers.

A monography written by Betty Roberts call Middle-Aged Dropouts. During her development of

her research she interviews numerous people who were affected by age discrimination they

described how they were just “dropped out” from their jobs that they have had for years due to

their age. It’s not fair that they were just dropped from careers with no reasonable explanation,

and because of this outcome they were forced to “survive” in a tough situation with no income to

support their families. According to Roberts, “they are forced to drop out from their jobs because

they are simply “too old” to perform in their occupation and it changes their lives” (pg 86). They
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are forced to adapt to change their living habits and ways to adjust to the “youth” world. Ageism

in the local community affects Ageism in universities and co-relates because since the older

workers have no job it forces the younger family member to care for them. According to

Newcastle, “the younger class of sults are being discriminated in occupation situations compared

to older adults because they are not getting the chance to work because of their age. (pg 1).

The Probability of Ageism Occurring at UTEP is Low

Ageism was abolished so there is no age discrimination. Due to the Ageism Act of 1967

was passed it is against the law of government to discriminate against some one’s age because

they are too “young” or too “old”. According to Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia

which was published last year in 2017, “In the United States, for instance, the Age

Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 seeks to eliminate ageism in the workplace”. To have

a job at the University of Texas at El Paso, there is almost no age requirements to either be a

receptionist or even a professor. Professors just naturally fall in the older age group category

because you have to obtain a masters in a degree with a PHD and that requires vast knowledge

that takes years to acquire. It is important to be aware of ageism because its more of

psychological abuse due to physical attributes. For example, in some cases, in a classroom, a

professor might not like a student who is doing poorly in his/her class because the professor has

high expectation because she is simply “older” and the same can go for people who are younger.

It’s a form of bullying that is hidden and not really discussed although it’s a law there are always

lip holes that people do to take advantage in particular situations.

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Conclusion

Concluding the research that has been developed with the provided information that

supports the claim in which ageism does not exist in the UTEP community. Although, there is

evidence of age discrimination factors in other universities, in local areas, the probability of age

discrimination existing at UTEP is considered to be non-existent. Ageism is the act of

stereotyping negatively towards ones age to complete a task or to achieve a goal. To create

awareness, it is important for the reader to acknowledge and pay attention to any age

discrimination factors in not only in the UTEP community, but in the local community

everywhere else and even other Universities. Ageism is a form of bullying because although it is

prohibited, there are cases occurring in everyday situations. This research was very beneficial

because I learned the exigence and helped develop solutions on answering the research question.

The picture above is a phrase that says “Age is just a number” and the background is a elderly

couple smiling at each other. This picture is being used to describes a metaphor in which no

matter how old a person is or how they look they should be treaty with the same respect as they

do if they were younger and the same goes for the younger adults.
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Ageism. (2017). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, , 1p. 1. Retrieved from

http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=AG037350&si

te=eds-live&scope=site

Age discrimination. (2006). In J. Wilson (Ed.), Gale encyclopedia of everyday law (2nd ed. ed.,

pp. 197-200). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2588700046/SUIC?u=j071902012&xid=a55ef1df

Fagan, J. (2008). Juvenile crime and criminal justice: Resolving border disputes. The Future of

Children, 18(2), 81-118. Retrieved from http://0-

www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/20179980

MENDLE, M. (2000). An enduring discourse community?: Some studies in early modern

english history and culture. Renaissance Quarterly, 53, 222.

Roberts, Betty. Middle-Ages Dropouts. (copyright 1980). Schenkman Publishing Company.

Sutter, M., Perrin, P. B., Tabaac, A. R., Parsa, L., & Mickens, M. (2017). Do ableism andageism

predict college students’ willingness to provide care for a family member with a chronic

health condition? Stigma and Health, 2(2), 110-120. 10.1037/sah0000045 Retrieved

from

http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2016-33496-

001&site=eds-live&scope=site

Themes of ageism at work. (2017, 06/06; 2018/1). The Newcastle Herald (Newcastle,

Australia), pp. 16. Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A494457385/SUIC?u=j071902012&xid=982b8386
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