Subtyping Ageism: Policy Issues in Succession and Consumption

an article by Michael S. North and Susan T. Fiske (Princeton University, USA) published in Social Issues and Policy Review Volume 7 Issue 1 (January 2013)

Abstract

Ageism research tends to lump “older people” together as one group, as do policy matters that conceptualise everyone over 65 as “senior.”

This approach is problematic primarily because it often fails to represent accurately a rapidly growing, diverse, and healthy older population.

In light of this, we review the ageism literature, emphasising the importance of distinguishing between the still-active “young-old” and the potentially more impaired “old-old” (Neugarten).

We argue that ageism theory has disproportionately focused on the old-old and differentiate the forms of age discrimination that apparently target each elder subgroup. In particular, we highlight the young-old’s plights predominantly in the workplace and tensions concerning succession of desirable resources; by contrast, old-old predicaments likely centre on consumption of shared resources outside of the workplace.

For both social psychological researchers and policy-makers, accurately sub-typing ageism will help society best accommodate a burgeoning, diverse older population.

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