Definition
Sexism is prejudice and discrimination against people based on their gender. Ageism is prejudice and discrimination against people based on their age.
Overview
Anyone who lives long enough is at risk of experiencing ageism. In Western, industrialized countries, older people are often perceived as unproductive and as using too much of society’s resources (Gullette 2004). As countries’ demographics shift toward larger percentages of older citizens (due to declines in birth rates and increases in longevity), aging is often framed in public policy debates as a social problem, and the hyperbolic language that is frequently used (e.g., “the gray tsumani”) to describe shifting demographics contributes to ageism. It is important to note that in Eastern, and primarily agricultural countries, older people are subject to more positive stereotypes and less ageism than is the case in the West. For example, they are seen as deserving of respect for their longevity, which confers wisdom...
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Chrisler, J.C. (2019). Sexism and Ageism. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_603-1
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