Swimming upstream in a sea of ageism

Abstract

Swimming upstream in a sea of ageismWe all swim in a sea of isms.They emerge as humans develop and apply stereotypes as shortcuts to avoid engagement with our fear of difference.Once they are widely accepted, stereotypes tend to become exaggerated and widely understood as objective descriptions of the way life is and was always meant to be.As Gordon Allport noted, at this point stereotypes pose a situational threat to the groups they target.1 Speculating on why we tend to take ageism for granted, Todd Nelson suggested that 'the simplest reason … is that ageism is much more institutionalized than the other two types of prejudice, and as such, people don't even notice that it is a prejudice …'. 2, p. 191 In an ironic twist, the very policies and programs designed to support older adults may also reinforce ageist stereotypes.Negative stereotypes of older adults have certainly come to the fore since President Biden's disastrous performance in the 27 June 2024 presidential debate.Watching his face dissolve into a mumbling rictus was no doubt especially painful for older adults.It presented an indelible image of one of the greatest fears associated with ageing: the humiliating experience of losing it in public.3 Biden's performance added fuel to the widespread myth that mental decline is an inevitable part of growing older.In fact, the relationship between mental acuity and age is complex and nuanced.A robust body of research has established that information processing slows in the ageing brain, so older adults may need longer to retrieve facts and make decisions.But, drawing upon the knowledge and experience of a lifetime, healthy older people can manage complexity and manifest better judgement than our younger peers.4 | EFFECTS OF AGEISMRobert Butler identified three types of ageism in 1969: institutional, interpersonal and internalised.5 Since then, many scholars, including those who publish in the Australasian Journal on Ageing, have demonstrated its complex and wide-ranging impacts.Margaret Monrath-Gullette considered institutional and interpersonal ageism in her 2017 book, Ending Ageism.6 She critiques social and health policies that have disadvantaged older adults and offers poignant examples

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