A more recent discrimination: Old Age

Newer in the discrimination group is the age discrimination.

Since a few years we have seen, for acceptance for a new job, the age lowering, but for those who thought they had a good job we also saw that the age they were made redundant became lower.

The boom generation has to face that their children and grandchildren got a mark on their head with the notice ‘only to be used until this or that day’. Those children reaching their middle age are called in the office of their boss to hear the ‘news’ they may go home not to return again to work. When looking for an other job they are confronted with the remarks ‘over qualified’ or  ‘too old’.

In the previous centuries perhaps we also could have an age discrimination but than in the good sense, that how older a person got, how more he or she was respected and considered mature and a good asset for the business. Nowadays the older person seems to have become a nuisance.

An attempt at a discrimination graphic. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Idiotic it may seem today we got a dilemma for those looking for work, either they are too young or not experienced enough, or they are too old or ‘over experienced’ (what that may be?). How may you feel when you can’t contribute because you’re too young? Or how is it to you and can you understand it that you are considered to be too old? That’s age discrimination, and it’s getting worse.

Some years ago you were a senior when you were over 60, then it became over 50 and now the 40iers may find to be a senior already. and those older than 40 may feel pushed in the corner by younger bosses who think they now everything better. Youngsters are not any more interested to learn from the experience of older people.

In the time people are living, working and staying active for longer people are considered too old too early.  I remember when I was young we looked at our grandparents as old people and often they looked very old in their black dresses (when they were widows). When you look at our generation many of us are much older than those people which looked old in the 1950ies -60ies, but we look much younger than they at the same age.

In the 19th century people looked much older at the same age as people of the 20th or 21st century. – American missionary Daniel Lindley at an ‘old age’ (Pennsylvania , 1801 – Morristown, New Jersey, 1880 )

We can see a lot of difference in appearance. Those in their sixties or seventies look much brighter than a few years ago the same age category. And to be honest a lot of 80iers do not have to be ashamed of their appearance and are fit enough to do different interesting tasks.

Though I do agree lots of our generation may have problems with the modern technology and be an-alphabets with the e-sources. Some may feel resistant to tackle the new devices, often because younger people say to them they cannot cope with computers or i-phones.  Those remarks from younger people can hold back older people at a time when for example they should be enjoying the use of computing devices of any and all kinds if they did not already used them in their employment before retirement.

The commercial market still seems to forget a total new market is lying in front of their feet. Today we have a lot of war and after war generation which is having free time but also having enough money to do things. Some of them also get unexpected possibilities to go places they had never been before. The at the moment still considered very old ones (in the 90ies and few in the 100s) do not want to leave their savings to the state and prefer it to share it with their younger family members.  This way I also could enjoy a boat trip with a Canadian uncle and I must say my wife and I enjoyed such a river cruise, though we never would have done it on our own. I do agree we found lots of people in the age group 60-70 with a few younger people (20-30) and a few older (80-90). Clearly such organised trips with all the comfort is a blessing people like us, who have seen Abraham, could enjoy and are willing to go for. (We personally have not the financial means for it ourselves, but many retired people do have enough financial reserves.)

Kapiti SeniorNet has taken a little corner of the net. SeniorNet at Kapiti, as well as all over New Zealand, is here to help people of a certain age to learn and enjoy computing as well as the many applications available to such elderly. They write:

For those of us who are mature it is becoming more and more vital for business as employers, employees, producers and consumers. Age discrimination forgets that Seniors – that is anyone over 50 –  are the engine rooms of our communities, volunteering more hours than anyone else in the country, and that their experience, wisdom and generosity provides positive role models for us all.

Here is a little video made in Australia  by the Australian Human Rights Commission that my older son sent me, and it puts it quite succinctly. {The Power of Oldness}

And they bring into the ether the request to look differently at those who get at a certain age.

We are all getting older, wouldn’t it be nice if we could help to stop age discrimination before it stops us. Maybe you too can help to put the positivity back into ageing. {The Power of Oldness}

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Find further reading:

1. The effects of just being you… Age.
2. Where are the older main characters?
3. Leaders of Anti-Ageism
4. That Which Shall Remain Unnamed …
5. A Face, A Story
6. The Younger Perspective
7. Ageism in the workplace
8. Dealing with Age Discrimination: Workers’ rights and strategies
9. Ageism in Musicology/Ethnomusicology? – The 2015 Hiring Statistics
10. A Letter to the Social Justice Activists out there.
11. Update on “42”, the record and “Confessions of a Bad, Ugly Singer”, the book…
12. The Age Old Question…
13. Young vs. Old Part I: The Debut of Spider-Man’s Vulture
14. Young vs. Old Part II: Spider-Man and the Terrible Debut of the Tinkerer
15. Old Man No Fi Grudge Young Boy
16. Old Age Should Be Celebrated
17. A 69 Year Old Grandmother
18. Making Them Visible
19. American roots-rock great Dave Alvin fights ageism in the media
20. When exactly is your ‘last
21. Career Advice: Staying relevant after 50-Feign youth!
22. This Lady Tells Her Age
23. Reuters: Hillary Clinton and the double whammy of sexism and ageism
24. Where discrimination divides, Feminism (kinda) conquers
25. Declaring Independence From Ageism
26. Declaring Independence from Ageism
27. Those poor crazy rich Texans
28. Generational Diversity in the Workplace; Myths and Realities
29. Emma Thompson: Why won’t Hollywood let me play a hot chick? Maybe it’s because I’m 56
30. Helen Mirren, Ageism Is Outrageous and James Bond Is Geriatric
31. “Anti-Ageist” Policies
32. A kick ass piece on agism in the music industry by Lola Blanc
33. A great piece on agism in the music industry by Ms. Nix in the Mix!!!
34. Viewpoint on aging
35. The Fear of Running Out of Time – Another Form of Ageism
36. Ageism in the Media
37. Who you calling old?
38. Twitter thinks Marisa Tomei is too young and “hot” to play Spiderman’s aunt
39. The Factors of Ageism
40. Aging Is Awesome!
41. The School of Creative Aging: Transforming How We Think and Act about Aging
42. Where The 40’s At?
43. Is a woman “middle-aged” at 30? 40? 50? Japanese men and women give different answers in poll
44. The Problems Of The Middle Ages: The Age Of Wickedness
45. Crossing the age Rubicon. (redux)
46. Embracing Aging
47. I’m A Racist
48. enter without so much as knocking
49. When age matters.
50. Unlucky In My Old Age
51. No Lotions, Potions, Diets or Pills: Here’s One Tip on Aging You Won’t Wanna Miss!
52. Links about ageism

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