30 Day Writing Challenge: My Feelings on Ageism

My Feelings on Ageism

For me, it's hard to speak about a topic like this. I don't feel like I know enough about it, nor have I personally seen it play out. But as with a lot of other the other -isms, just because I don't see it and am not a victim of the structural disadvantages associated with ageism doesn't mean that it does not exist. That invalidates the struggle of those who are structurally disadvantaged because of their age, and that's not okay. The goal of this post is to talk about the issue, which does exist and does matter, with the help of some sources of knowledge i.e. the internet. I'm not an expert on this issue nor am I speaking on behalf of a particular group of people. Age is one of many identities that intersect, creating privileges and disadvantages in the fabric of society. This post is essentially an exercise for me to learn more about an issue that is growing and present within the aging population of our society.

What is ageism?

Ageism affects everyone,
but older folks, like my Grandma,
are often those who face the greatest
struggle with this identity.

In the traditional sense, ageism refers to discrimination and stereotyping of people based on their age. Like other -isms, ageism can be looked at in terms of day-to-day interactions as well as in terms of systems. Ageism tends to affect the aging population most, or the section of the population referred to as seniors. Age intersects with other identities, and it's important to consider not just age, but also other identities, in discussions about ageism; race and sex are two of the many identities that are most often brought up in discussions about ageism. Identities are intersectional, meaning they go hand in hand when it comes to privilege and oppression. Ageism has also been used to refer to discrimination and stereotyping of youth and adolescents, but when we are talking about ageism more generally, it tends to refer to older individuals.

My Thoughts

Anytime an identity group is marginalized or oppressed, it's never okay, and that includes older folks. Ageism is a type of -ism, a group that denotes varying degrees of privilege and oppression based on identity with a particular group. Ageism is not okay, just as racism, sexism, and many other isms are not okay. Simple is that. Why? Because it marginalizes a group of folks just because of their identification with a particular identity group. That's not okay.