EDP 362T Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Ageism, Double Standard, Old Age
Chapter 11 Review
▪ Age and age cohort (group of people born in about the same decade – diff cohorts have
diff experiences as a group).
Not just a number: the social meanings of age:
▪ Is there a double standard of aging?
o Double standard of aging: think women are old at an earlier age than men, see
being old as more negative for women. Old when no longer attract men or
reproduce, vs man not old til becomes mentally or physically incapacitated.
▪ Media portrayals: females shown in ads are under 50 y/o, vs man featured
as sexy when older.
▪ Women = less attractive; men = less competent.
▪ Older women rated higher than older men on positive characteristics like
friendly, cooperative, patient, generous.
▪ Women tend to express more body dissatisfaction than men did, but gap
does not increase with age. Women distressed in appearance and spoke of
body in parts, and men in bodies’ function, speaks of aging bodies as
holistic entity. Shows continuing objectification of female body.
o Ageism: prejudice and discrimination based on age.
▪ Preference for young, rated less stereotypically and seen more
attractive/competent.
▪ Mostly middle-aged people who had strongest anti-age attitudes.
▪ Most common form of ageism = jokes that make fun of older people.
▪ Most ppl, esp young people, barely notice that age is being made into a
form of stigma – repulsive, embarrassing, pitiable.
o Cross-cultural differences:
▪ White American culture: individualistic, materialistic; work best for young
and strong. Aging = shameful.
• North America: meaningful roles for the old are most evident in
minority communities.
▪ Cultures that value interdependence and connection, old age’s dependency
may mean something different.
• Respect old age. Asian countries – spiritual power increases as
body becomes frailer.
• Pre-industrial societies: how old person is treated depends on
gender, status, power, besides age.
• Poor/developing countries: old people may have to do hard
physical labor as long as they can, no retirement. Religious beliefs
may stress respect for old but doesn’t always happen.
o Self-identity and social identity
▪ Ageism can be internalized.
▪ Self-identity: one’s own subjective feeling of age
▪ Social identity: the way she looks to others.
▪ Gaps b/w self, ideal, and social identities increase with age.
▪ Distancing yourself from your age may be a form of resistance against the
stigma of being old.
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• When each old person thinks himself/herself as exception, unlikely
that they will bond with each other to change social forces from
constructing old age so negatively – each believes getting old is
something that only happens to other people.
Images of Older Women
▪ Invisibility
o Older women represented less in media. Men given more age time to be shown in
media, but women expected to remain frozen in time as a 20 something babe.
o Older women not sexually shown, would get ridiculed. Older men shown virility
by being with younger women.
o When older women shown in sex scenes, people applaud them for being prave
and taking risks.
o LGBTQ people are invisible in media.
▪ Grannies and Witches: images and stereotypes of older women
o Granny images are pervasive, mother in law from hell, manipulative/selfish
elderly mother.
o The word “old” is avoided, use euphemisms like “senior citizen” and “golden
ager”.
o Cute but incompetent stereotype of elderly.
o Age stereotyping triggered by appearance. Aging bodies is first cues that others
use to classify them – with friends and families, treated as individuals but with
strangers, people just see a generic old woman.
▪ The effects of age stereotypes
o Evaluations of others filtered through negative stereotypes about older profs and
female profs.
o Elderspeak: babytalk, grammatically simplified/repetitious/slowed
down/exaggerated in pitch. Patronizing to older people. May increase their self-
fulfilling prophecy.
▪ Older people may be infantilized (treated like children).
o Younger people may accept/internalize age streotypes w/o thinking much because
not personally relevant. As people get older, this stereotype can have effect on
health by prediction of heart attacks/strokes because start to become self-relevant
= stressed.
In an aging woman’s body
▪ Physical health in middle and later life
o Heart disease: heart disease, types of cancer, stroke = same as men in leading
causes of death for women.
o Heart disease increased for women, decreased for men; higher death rate for
minority women.
▪ Serious gap in treatment b/w genders. Many women dissatisfied w/
treatment.
o Chronic illness: arthritis and diabetes, limit activities, more prevalent in women
over 75 than men in the same age group.
▪ Cause psychological effects on identity. Must cope with physical pain and
limits that it brings. Increases dependency and need for help.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 11 review: age and age cohort (group of people born in about the same decade diff cohorts have diff experiences as a group). Not just a number: the social meanings of age: Is there a double standard of aging: double standard of aging: think women are old at an earlier age than men, see being old as more negative for women. Women distressed in appearance and spoke of body in parts, and men in bodies" function, speaks of aging bodies as holistic entity. Aging = shameful: north america: meaningful roles for the old are most evident in minority communities, cultures that value interdependence and connection, old age"s dependency may mean something different, respect old age. Invisibility: older women represented less in media. Men given more age time to be shown in media, but women expected to remain frozen in time as a 20 something babe: older women not sexually shown, would get ridiculed.
