i s m…

Ag e
Stereotypes Revisited…

 Boomers are out of touch

 Gen Xers are cynical and disengaged
 Millennials are entitled
 Gen Zers are narcissistic and don’t want to work hard
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WHO, in its Global Report on Ageism, defines ageism
as -

 Pertaining to the stereotypes (how people think), prejudice (how people feel) and
discrimination (how people act) directed towards others or oneself based on age.
 Ageism is everywhere – in the workplace, in media, in Hollywood, in schools and
in health care, and it is something that most everyone will experience at some
point in their lives.
 Ageism begins in childhood and is reinforced over the course of one’s life (World
Health Organization, 2021).
 Ageism can be directed at people of any age, with young adults and older adults
most often the target.
Personal ageism

 Is about an individuals’ ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are biased against
people or groups based on their age (World Health Organization, 2021).
 Being disrespectful or belittling older and younger people, ignoring their points of view
in decision-making, or avoiding contact and interactions are all examples of personal
ageism.
 Using an overly accommodating tone and simple vocabulary and sentence structure
when speaking to older adults (elderspeak) increases the likelihood that others will view
older adults as incompetent and incapable.
 Saying that younger people are thoughtless, rude, or selfish because of their age is also a
form of personal ageism.
Self-directed ageism

 refers to ageism that is turned against oneself.

 For Example:
 people in their twenties who are reluctant to apply for a job because they think that they are
too young, or older adults who think that it is not possible to learn new skills later in life and
therefor are hesitant to go back to school or learn a new hobby.

 This type of ageism is also referred to as internalized ageism.

Institutional ageism

 is about the rules, practices and policies that discriminate against individuals and or
groups because of their age, such as mandatory retirement and the exclusion of older
adults in medical research (International Longevity Center-USA, 2006).
 It occurs across different institutions, including health and social services, employing
organizations and the legal system.

 Ageism also occurs in a range of other institutions and sectors, including housing,
technology, and finance (World Health Organization, 2021).
 Determinants of Ageism(Marques et al., 2020)

Interpersonal and
Personal Level Intergroup Level Institutional Level
Individual’s own anxiety about aging Amount of contact with Ratio of availability of resources in
society to the percentage of older
Fear of dying older people. people (Strong Determinant of
Quality of contact more important ageism).
than quantity.

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Ageism Towards Younger People

 Young adults can also be victims of discrimination and can be exposed to more severe social
judgments than older age groups (Francioli & Young, 2021).
 The negative view towards younger adults due to their generational affiliation, such as
Millennial (1981 - 1996) or Generation Z (1997 onward), has serious implications for the
economic stability of younger generations.
Some Data Points…
In December 2019, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging
surveyed a national sample of adults ages 50–80 about their experiences with everyday ageism (Ober Allen
et al., 2020).
Ageism and Sex
 Women sometimes face more challenges when society links looking young to looking beautiful.
 Anti-aging advertisements imply (for both men and women in India) that the natural signs of aging
are undesirable.
 This media representation of the consequences of aging explains why people go to great lengths —
like dying their hair or getting Botox — to mask signs of aging.
 Hollywood, in addition to the media, often reinforces ageist stereotypes in older women. In 2015,
Academy Award-winning actress Maggie Gyllenhaal spoke up about ageism when she revealed
that she lost a role at age 37, because she "was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55"
(Zhu, 2019)
Ageism in Higher Education – Your Thoughts?
Outcomes of Ageism

 Ageism shortens older peoples’ lives; leads to poor physical health and worsens health
behaviors; delays recovery from disability; affects mental health; increases social isolation and
loneliness; and reduces overall quality of life (World Health Organization, 2021).
 Ageism negatively affected mental health conditions including depression, resulted in a shorter
life expectancy, and affected whether older adults received medical treatment and the quality of
the care that they received (Greenwood, 2020).
 Age discrimination, along with any other form of discrimination, creates a work environment
of tension and hostility.
 When ageism is prevalent in academia, it hinders research and training on topics of aging and
ageism.
Ageism and India
 The Constitution of India guarantees certain fundamental rights to the citizens of
India, including protection to individuals from discrimination only on the grounds
of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
 Age is not included.
 There are no codified laws, national or local, in India that directly deal with the
issue of age discrimination.
 Under the general Indian penal laws, no criminal sanctions are prescribed in
relation to age discrimination.
Air India Vs. Nergesh Meerza and Others
(AIR 1981 SC 1829)
 Regulation 46(i)(c) fixed the age of retirement for air hostesses working for Air India at 35 years. It also
provided that the air hostesses would retire upon first pregnancy or on marriage within first four years of service,
whichever is earlier.
 Regulation 47 provided that on being found medically fit, the retirement age of air hostesses could be extended
by 10 more years at the option of the Managing Director. The retirement age of male cabin crew on the other
hand was 58 years.

The Verdict
 The Supreme Court struck down the service condition which provided for termination of service of air hostesses
on first pregnancy, holding it to be in violation of Article 14 (Right to equality) of the Constitution of India.
 It also struck down the provision which provided that the extension of service of an air hostess beyond 35, if
found medically fit, would be at the discretion of the Managing Director.
Continued…

While striking the latter condition, the Court held that

 The real intention of the makers of this regulation has not been carried out
because the Managing Director has been given uncontrolled, unguided and
absolute discretion to extend or not to extend the period of retirement after an air
hostess attained the age of 35 years.
 The Court held that the said regulation gave wide powers to the Managing
Director which might result in discrimination.
State Of U.P vs Dayanand Chakrawarty &
Ors, 2013
 regulation 31 in contention framed by the Nigam prescribing two separate age of
superannuation for similarly situated employees.

 Supreme Court held that “as employees appointed from different source, after
their appointment were treated alike for the purpose of superannuation under
Regulation 31, subsequently solely on the basis of source of recruitment no
discrimination can be made and differential treatment would not be permissible in
the matter of condition of service, including age of superannuation, in absence of
an intelligible differentia distinguishing them from each other.”
Legal Provisions…

 As there is no statutory provision in India addressing discrimination based on age, no penal

provisions are prescribed for this offence.
 However, under common law, civil remedies can be sought for unfair discrimination relating to
employment, termination, wages, remuneration, benefits, etc and not solely for age
discrimination.

 if a person is terminated from his/her employment without justifiable reasons and without
notice. May be or may not be as a consequence of age discrimination.

 What can he/she do?

Continued…

 He/she can approach the civil courts, labour courts or service tribunals based on the
nature of claims and category of worker.
 Section 25 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, provides for the employer to fulfil
certain conditions before layoff and retrenchment of any employee and also provides
for reemployment of retrenched workmen.
 Section 2(ra) of the Fifth Schedule of the Act lists the Unfair Labour Practices. Any
partiality or granting favour to particular group of workmen or discharge or dismiss
workmen by way of victimisation and not in good faith are termed ‘unfair practices.
 Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and Rules
Continued…

 With an ageing population, concerns about maintenance grew and it is in this

context that the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act,
2007 was passed.
 The Act placed a responsibility to maintain a natural, adoptive or step parent on
all adult children and grandchildren and adult legal heirs who would inherit the
property of the older person.
 The definition of maintenance included food, clothing, residence, medical
attendance and treatment.
 Counter Strategies – As recommended by WHO

 Strengthening and enforcing policies and laws that address age discrimination and inequality and human
rights.

 Including educational interventions to reduce ageism that enhance empathy and dispel misconceptions
about different age groups, in all levels and types of education, from primary schools to universities, and
in formal and non-formal educational contexts.

 Implementing intergenerational interventions encouraging interaction between people of different

generations, which can reduce intergroup prejudice and stereotypes. These interventions are among the
most effective interventions for reducing ageism against older people and show promise for reducing
ageism against younger people too.
 Counter Strategies – As recommended by Stanford Univ.
Medical School

 Promote quality interactions between younger and older generations. Encouraging children to have
meaningful relationships with older people affects their outlook on aging and older adults throughout
their life.

 Older people should be encouraged to picture themselves in gyms participating in safe and more
vigorous physical activities, which can help improve cardiovascular health. Ageist stereotypes can be
instigated by fitness and health companies who only show young people engaged in vigorous physical
activity, and physical and occupational therapists often make exercise recommendations based on age
instead of evaluating each person’s actual ability.

 Health professionals should be educated to recognize and eliminate ageism and can model
nondiscriminatory behavior.