CLASSISM, ABLEISM,

& AGEISM
Readings:
• “Chapter 10: Understanding Intersectionality Through Classism” from Is Everyone Really
Equal by Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo
• "What Capitalism Is" article from TeenVogue
CLASSISM
 • Social class: “refers to relative social rank in terms of
income, wealth, status, and/or power” (p. 160)
• Classism: “the systematic oppression of poor and working
people by those who control necessary resources (jobs,
Keywords wages, education, housing, food, services, medicine, cultural
Defined from definitions, and so on)” (p. 160)

the Readings • Capitalism: “Capitalism is defined as an economic system

in which a country’s trade, industry, and profits are
controlled by private companies, instead of by the people
whose time and labor powers those companies” (teenvogue,
p. 163)
• Socialism: “socialism is an economic system in which a
whole community — not just bosses or private companies
— control the means of production equally” (teenvogue)
"In a capitalist country, the focus is on profits over anything
else; in a socialist country, the public is seen to be more
important, and social welfare is a major priority" (teenvogue)
 Classism and
Social Inequality
• Wealth is unevenly distributed in American
society
• Historical modes of segregation and laws
defining who could or could not receive
money play a role even today (example: pay
gaps)
• Your class status can privilege you or oppress you
• Class also interacts with race, gender, and
education status as they are all systems of
power
• When you consider the matrix of domination
and how systems of oppression operate in
society, it becomes clear that simply working
hard is not enough to advance your status
• Combination of identity factors (race,
gender, ability status, age, etc.) and other
factors such as luck play a role in how far
“hard work” will get you
Asian Americans and the Class Divide
Resources • “History of Monopoly” Article
• People Like Us PBS documentary clips

on Canvas • 1619 Project Podcast on Economy and

Slavery

related to Netflix Clips:

• Racial Wealth Gap Explained

Class • Gender Wealth Gap Explained

ABLEISM
 Let’s talk disability!
o No single way to define
disability
o Includes mental health, physical
health, learning challenges,
chronic conditions, and more
o No universal experience of
disability
o Just because you hold a similar
identity, does not mean you
view the world in the same way
o Disability can be acquired
o People first & Identity first
language
o John has a disability v. Deaf John
o Language matters!
o Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), 1990
o Prohibits discrimination on the
basis of disability
o A Brief History (10 minutes –
on Canvas)
Americans with Disability Act (ADA), 1990
“The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in
employment, State and local government, public accommodations,
commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also
applies to the United States Congress.
To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a
relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An
individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person
who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history
or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others
as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name
all of the impairments that are covered.”
What is ableism?
• “ableism has been defined as ‘ideas,
practices, institutions, and social
relations that presume able-
bodiedness, and by so doing,
construct persons with disabilities as
marginalized … and largely invisible
‘others’’” (5)
• Prejudice or discrimination of those
with disabilities; seen as less-than
• Ableism is the internalization of
“normal” as superior; encouraged to
take your privilege for granted
• Do not have to be disabled to
experience ableism
• Video Clip (also on Canvas)
Disability
Visibility Project
• The Disability Visibility Project is an
online community dedicated to creating,
sharing, and amplifying disability media
and culture.
• Check it out here:
https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/
LANGUAGE ACTIVITY
Read the “10 Reasons to Give Up Ableist
Language” article on Canvas and answer the
following in the assessment:
1. What are your initial reactions to this
article?
2. How often do you unintentionally use
ableist language? Before reading this
article, had you ever thought about
ability-related words in a critical way?
 • CSUF Disability Support
Services
• Glossary of Ableist Words
• Disability Visibility Project
• The Disability Social
Resources On •
History Project
Asian Americans with
Canvas Disabilities Resource Guide
• Ableist Responses to
Covid-19 Article
• Report a Barrier link
• Recommended Documentary:
• Crip Camp on Netflix
AGEISM
 Ageism

Discriminatory practices towards older or younger people.

Stereotypes and phrases about what it means to be young or old.

• Like other –isms, ageism is an
oppression in which:
• prejudice + power over = ism
• Category that you move into or out
of over your life
• Interacts with other identities you
hold
• The Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of 1967
(ADEA) protects applicants and
employees 40 years of age and older
from age discrimination in hiring,
promotion, discharge,
compensation, or terms, conditions
or privileges of employment
Pick two of the following to
read or watch:
• Harmful Effects of Ageism Video Clip
• Charts and Video on Age in the Senate
from CNN Politics
• “Dianne Feinstein Is the Future of the
Senate. And that’s the problem.” Article
from the Atlantic
• “You’re How Old? We’ll be in touch”
Article from the New York Times
• “Perils of Aging” Interactive Article from
the New York Times
 Ageism Assessment Activity –
examples on next slide & on Canvas
Analyze how age is depicted in the media by creating a visual. Your visual can be a simple word document, a Canva post, a Powerpoint, or an infographic.
Your visual should include three columns (“elder,” “adult,” and “young”) and should include: 1) how frequently each age group is depicted on your
chosen platform 2) examples of how they’re depicted (positive, negative, or neutral), and 3) the messages about each that are communicated as a result of
this representation.
Choose one of the following categories:
• Television (pick a show or series to focus on)
• Magazines (pick one specific magazine or a magazine brand to focus on; examples include hogue, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, AARP, Southern Living,
Men's Health, etc.)
• Social Media (pick a trend you're seeing, influencers posts to analyze, or overall themes from the apps)
• Movies (pick a movie to focus on)
• Popular Websites (pick a website and analyze the content they post; examples include Buzzfeed, Bustle, etc.)
Use the following questions to guide your analysis. You do not need to answer every question, use it to guide your research and critical thinking:
1. What do the figures depicted in your media form look like? What are they doing? Active, inactive?
2. What are the messages you can find, open or subtle, about “being young” or “being old”?
3. Any connections with stereotypes related to being young or old?
4. Is it harder to find images / ads / articles depicting older people? Why?
5. How many of the images /ads / articles are explicitly about being older (e.g. medications, retirement plans, etc.)? How many are about
fashionable clothes? What is the difference?
6. What other identities do individuals depicted hold? Does focusing on age add to or detract from these other identities?
7. What are the intersecting systems that might be operating as sites of oppression?
 Additional examples
on Canvas under the
Ageism Resources
tab on the Readings &
Media page