“OLDER PEOPLE”... WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE WE?
How should we talk about ageism?
How should we talk about ageism—and more importantly, how do we break with ageism—without engaging in discrimination ourselves? How can we talk about age, old age, aging, and older adults without falling into the trap of creating stereotypes or categories? There is no doubt that we are constrained by language… and that we must deal with it!
We can nevertheless realize that, however natural it may seem, age is a culturally and socially constructed phenomenon. Categories such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age vary according to the time and place. Being “old” in Quebec does not mean the same thing as in China or Africa. Moreover, the boundaries between these categories seem to be very blurred. And even the seemingly objective age brackets represented by sexagenarians, septuagenarians, octogenarians, etc., fail to account for the diversity of life paths. Do we really change when we go from 79 to 80?
That said, age is a social marker, as are sex, gender and ethnicity. Depending on the time, the culture, the context and the environment (at work, in our daily lives and in our relationships with our loved ones, among others), being this or that age prompts us to adopt certain specific attitudes and behaviours toward ourselves and others. Moreover, we are not perceived as old at the same time, or in the same way, when going to the doctor, looking for a job or playing with children.
What is more, ageism can exacerbate other types of discrimination and marginalization, based on sex, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, physical and mental health, socio-professional status or social class. For example, studies show that women are discriminated against more on the basis of their age at work and in relation to their appearance, while negative perceptions of older adults’ sexuality are intensified by homophobia.
In order to break with ageism, which has a greater and harsher impact on those who are no longer considered young (the benchmark of youth being used as a reference), we need to recognize the multitude of ways of aging, the complexity of what age represents, and the representations of older people! In other words, “aging”, being an “older person,” or even being “old” are negatively connoted terms when they are associated with negative perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. Let’s join forces to break away from these preconceived ideas and connect with more positive associations!
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