By whatever signs is society not divided - from nationality to gender, from the social level to sexual orientation. It would seem that there is nowhere else, but inventive people always find reasons to consider someone worthy of condemnation or neglect. Ageism is just one of these phenomena, which takes place in almost all countries of the world, with rare exceptions. The most favorable situation is in the Scandinavian countries, where an active fight against any discrimination has already brought abundant results.
What is ageism?
Translated from English age - "age". We are talking about age discrimination, and in the vast majority of cases, it is the older generation that has problems. In modern society, ageism has blossomed so violently that it is already perceived as a normal state of affairs. People do not even notice the extent to which they are unfair to those older. And it is not at all about some kind of nominal respect or honor.
For some reason, old age is considered something shameful, terrifying. Stupidity, foolishness, uselessness and inertness of the mind are attributed to older people, young people quite seriously believe that after reaching a certain number of years lived it is impossible to be smart, neither beautiful, nor successful.
Youth as a prerequisite
Young people are dear to us everywhere - it was sung in one song from the times of the USSR, and in it old people were revered. Probably, at some point they understood everything too literally, and the elderly were literally invited not to get under their feet. Young freshness has become a priority requirement in virtually all areas of life. To get a job or in some way succeed, it is necessary to radiate youth, and wrinkles or natural gray hair are equated with ugliness.
In Russia, ageism is very different from a similar phenomenon in Europe or America. If there the forty-year milestone is considered the very beginning of maturity, then for some mysterious reason these far from decrepit years have declared the threshold of old age. This is not to be considered a usual harmless delusion, a huge beauty industry thrives on age discrimination - nowhere else do they pump out so much money from an unfortunate pair of wrinkles.
Lukism, sexism and ageism
One has to admit that through stereotypes only an illusory picture of life looms. All the "annoying" factors are somewhere in the brackets, they try not to notice, ignore them. For example, Lukism is discrimination in appearance. The discrepancy with the generally accepted canons of beauty, the wrong height, weight or body proportions - this is an occasion to throw a person out of the circle of privileged personalities.
Sexism in the vast majority of cases goes hand in hand with misogyny. Sexual oppression is one of the signs of a deeply patriarchal society in which women can’t do without women, but at the same time “a chicken is not a bird, a woman is not a man”.
All examples of ageism are somehow connected with Lukism and, to a large extent, with sexism. If a woman is no longer a young nymph, but also does not meet the parameters suitable for gloss, the pressure of society can become unbearable. Perhaps only strong-spirited, self-sufficient persons do not suffer from this.
Reasons for age discrimination
Psychologists note several basic factors that can lead to manifestations of ageism. People tend to fear old age, when illness begins, death is approaching. I do not want to be like all these old people with their petty interests. Ageism is not only discrimination, it is also the fear that one can be in the place of the oppressed. The result is a classic vicious circle: all anxious feelings and sensations are expressed in the desire to distance oneself as much as possible from the approaching old age, transferring the negative attitude from the phenomenon to other people who have already left youth behind.
At work, ageism manifests itself in different ways. It is believed that if a person by the age of forty has not occupied a leading position, then he is a loser and a poor professional. Of course, this is a fallacy; everyone cannot be bosses, but good performers are worth their weight in gold. However, the collective subconscious may be stronger.
Employment Issues
If you open a job site, an unsightly picture emerges. The vast majority of vacancies are targeted at people under thirty. Sometimes the upper bar shifts five years higher. An employer who is ready to hire people under forty years old is already considered progressive. Despite the fact that the right to work with us is guaranteed to citizens of working age up to the retirement age level, in practice ageism in hiring is present in the vast majority of companies.
Formally, the applicant can defend his rights in court, but it is extremely difficult to prove that he was not hired precisely because of his age. And even if it turns out to turn the matter in their favor, then how then to work in the organization, where you had to get through the court?
Psychological difficulties
With an increase in the number of age-related signs, anxiety states may worsen in some people, periods of sadness, apathy, and even depression are not ruled out. “Why live if I'm not young anymore” is not a rare complaint at all. In psychology, ageism is not only the desire to exalt oneself, discriminating someone by the age principle. It is also a distinct self-hatred, if the mirror begins to impassively report that a birthday is a sad holiday.
Everything turns out to be closely connected. If we sincerely consider older people to be short-sighted and stagnant, believing that they can no longer be interested in something new, love, have fun and have sex, then upon reaching this age a clear self-loathing is inevitable.
Antiage as a commodity
It is on the psychological characteristics that the anti-aging beauty industry is based. In this case, ageism is the best engine of trade. It sells everything that can move the terrible period, hide wrinkles, restore the youthful radiance to the skin, tighten everything up and eliminate gray hair. But this is not only cosmetics, it is also quite expensive procedures, plastic surgeries, sports programs, corrective underwear, a huge assortment of fashionable clothes, accessories and gloss singing along with the sales rhythm, assuring that old age will not come if you do all this.
As long as a clear complimentation of her age is the best compliment for a woman, antiaging will be sold. But is this trap effective only for the fair sex? Alas, men are just as susceptible to age-related stereotypes and begin to desperately young, just to postpone the moment when they are called old men.
