Holding Onto Ageism

This summer I went back to graduate school. One might assume that 5 years of graduate school was quite enough (it definitely was, once upon a time). This time I was part of a social work graduate level class where volunteer older adults met with social work students in small groups after completing in-class autobiographical writing assignments. I am not sure who learned most in this intergenerational pairing. The writing was revealing, but the neglected need to tackle ageism in U.S. culture likely was our most important outcome.

The encore “students” displayed vibrant energy in expressing their views; no shrinking violets volunteered to go back to school. When looking backwards at one’s life experiences, there is perspective to be gained. Each of us has important history and relationship lessons to learn when paying attention to clinging decades of life education in the School of Hard Knocks. It is impossible to escape a variety of knock-‘em-up times — if you are lucky enough to live a long life.

Septuagenarians (ages 70-79), octogenarians (ages 80-89), nonagenarians (ages 90-99), and centenarians (ages 100-109) are revered in many cultures. When Becca Levy, psychologist, epidemiologist and professor at the Yale School of Public Health, spent a semester in Japan, she was amazed to see how differently older adults were treated there. She discovered that centenarians were celebrated as rock stars.

Older adults in America are too often assessed with less than positive attributes. Why do we snicker at stereotypical labels: old farts, geezers, gaffers, codgers, silver tsunami, gray wave, women of a certain age, or “over-the-hill” when milestone birthdays are reached? Birthday cards for encore years are raunchy with oddly positioned and/or tattered-looking individuals holding onto life. A revamp of social portrayals of older adults is overdue.

Showing up in ways to connect intergenerationally is just one solution in combating ageism. Consider attitude-shifting in singer songwriter Bob Dylan’s lyrics from Dear Landlord: “If you don’t underestimate me / I won’t underestimate you.” 

Junior citizens may underestimate seasoned citizens because of a negative experience with one or more older adults. Once a bias is formed it is difficult to break down one’s barriers to prejudice and stereotyping. According to Levy (Breaking the Age Code), unconscious ageism is “everywhere,” and starts as young as age 3.

Some individuals are groomed to become adept at putting down themselves. Levy’s 2-decade longevity study of Ohio residents (ages 50+) pinpoints how damaging it is for older adults to hold onto negative beliefs about aging; the median survival rate was 7 ½ years longer for those with the most positive attitudes about aging!  

All of us might adopt age affirmations that Dylan offers in this gem (Forever Young): “May your hands always be busy / May your feet always be swift / May you have a strong foundation / When the winds of changes shift.”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

213. When have you experienced ageism?

214. What might you do to combat ageism in your community?