an article by Jelle Lössbroek (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) and Jonas Radl (Carlos III University of Madrid, Getafe, Spain; WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany) published in Ageing & Society Volume 39 Issue 10 (October 2019)
Abstract
Despite its benefits for prolonging careers, participation in training is far lower among older employees (age 50+) than among younger employees.
This study analyses gender differences in older employees’ training participation.
To investigate the predictors of training intensity, we examine two forms of training: formal educational programmes and on-the-job training. The study draws on a novel data-set, the European Sustainable Workforce Survey, carried out in nine European countries in 2015 and 2016, analysing 2,517 older employees and their managers, spread over 228 organisations.
We concentrate on the interplay between employees’ gender, managers’ gender and managers’ ageism in shaping older employees’ training participation.
Our findings indicate comparable training participation of older men and women in both forms of training, yet older women more often pay for enrolment in educational programmes themselves. Also, predictors of training participation are different. In line with the tenet of ‘gendered ageism’, we find that managerial ageism primarily targets older women, excluding female employees from the training opportunities available to their comparable male colleagues.
Finally, female managers are associated with higher training participation rates for older employees, but only for older men. This result supports ‘queen bee’ arguments and runs counter to ‘homophily’ arguments.
Overall, the study demonstrates that workplace dynamics and managerial decisions contribute to the reproduction of traditional gender divides in the late career.
Full text (PDF 24pp)
Showing posts with label ageism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ageism. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Friday, 16 August 2019
A Critical Perspective on Ageism and Modernization Theory
an article by Wouter De Tavernier (KU Leuven, Belgium), Laura Naegele (University of Vechta, German) and Moritz Hess (University of Bremen, Germany) published in Social Inclusion Volume 7 Issue 3 (2019)
Abstract
Modernization theory has often been used to explain country differences in levels of ageism. The commentary at hand questions its usefulness in the analysis of ageism today for two reasons.
First, modernization theory was developed to discuss social status of older people, not ageism.
Second, social policies and management practices that emerged with industrialization are being rolled back over the last decades.
We therefore argue for the reconsideration of the relationship between modernization and ageism and to re-assess it in order to better explain country differences in ageism in the 21st century.
Full text (PDF 4pp)
Abstract
Modernization theory has often been used to explain country differences in levels of ageism. The commentary at hand questions its usefulness in the analysis of ageism today for two reasons.
First, modernization theory was developed to discuss social status of older people, not ageism.
Second, social policies and management practices that emerged with industrialization are being rolled back over the last decades.
We therefore argue for the reconsideration of the relationship between modernization and ageism and to re-assess it in order to better explain country differences in ageism in the 21st century.
Full text (PDF 4pp)
Monday, 12 August 2019
Internalised Ageism and Self-Exclusion: Does Feeling Old and Health Pessimism Make Individuals Want to Retire Early?
an article by Mariska van der Horst (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands) published in Social Inclusion Volume 7 Number 3 (2019)
Abstract
An important current policy goal in many Western countries is for individuals to extend their working lives. Ageism has been identified as a possible threat to achieving this; furthermore, the ways in which ageism may affect this policy goal may have been underestimated.
It has been claimed previously that ageism can be seen as discrimination against one’s future self and that a lifetime of internalising age stereotypes makes older people themselves believe the age stereotypes.
The current article uses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to assess the degree to which internalised ageism is related to one’s preferred retirement age.
For internalised ageism, assessments are made about the degree to which individuals consider themselves to be old; they agree that their age prevents them from undertaking activities; they are pessimistic about their own future health and that being old comes with deteriorating health more generally.
Results show that health pessimism especially affects one’s preferred retirement age negatively, even when controlling for current health and other factors, and mainly for middle-educated women. Implications are discussed.
Full text (PDF 17pp) download
Abstract
An important current policy goal in many Western countries is for individuals to extend their working lives. Ageism has been identified as a possible threat to achieving this; furthermore, the ways in which ageism may affect this policy goal may have been underestimated.
It has been claimed previously that ageism can be seen as discrimination against one’s future self and that a lifetime of internalising age stereotypes makes older people themselves believe the age stereotypes.
The current article uses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to assess the degree to which internalised ageism is related to one’s preferred retirement age.
For internalised ageism, assessments are made about the degree to which individuals consider themselves to be old; they agree that their age prevents them from undertaking activities; they are pessimistic about their own future health and that being old comes with deteriorating health more generally.
Results show that health pessimism especially affects one’s preferred retirement age negatively, even when controlling for current health and other factors, and mainly for middle-educated women. Implications are discussed.
Full text (PDF 17pp) download
Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Uncertain Futures: Organisational Influences on the Transition from Work to Retirement
an article by Chris Phillipson (University of Manchester, UK), Sue Shepherd and Sarah Vickerstaff University of Kent, UK) and Mark Robinson (Leeds Beckett University, UK) published in Social Policy and Society Volume 18 Issue 3 (July 2019)
Abstract
The promotion of extended working life has created a period of uncertainty between the ending of work and the beginning of retirement. This period of the life course is now ‘open-ended’ in respect of whether older workers decide to remain in employment or leave working.
However, the choices available are framed within public policy and organisational contexts as well as personal circumstances.
The study reviews the organisation of ‘work-ending’, the construction of age within organisations, and the influences on provision of support in late working life.
The article concludes with a discussion on the range of pressures that might limit control over pathways through middle and late working careers.
Full text (PDF 16pp)
Abstract
The promotion of extended working life has created a period of uncertainty between the ending of work and the beginning of retirement. This period of the life course is now ‘open-ended’ in respect of whether older workers decide to remain in employment or leave working.
However, the choices available are framed within public policy and organisational contexts as well as personal circumstances.
The study reviews the organisation of ‘work-ending’, the construction of age within organisations, and the influences on provision of support in late working life.
The article concludes with a discussion on the range of pressures that might limit control over pathways through middle and late working careers.
Full text (PDF 16pp)
Friday, 28 December 2018
Ageism Is One Of The Most Widespread Forms Of Discrimination: Here’s Why
an article by Estelle Huchet (Campaign and Project Officer, AGE Platform Europe) for the Human Rights News, Views & Info blog
“Why do they take the train during rush hour” or “why do they do their grocery shopping on Saturdays?” These seem like insignificant questions, but they’re ones we hear all the time.
They also come with a big assumption – that older people should organise themselves differently, so that other busy and productive people can make more efficient use of their time.
Some people might even go so far as to argue that this should be an act of intergenerational solidarity from older people. They suggest that the older generation should leave space free for working-age people, so they instead can access services and places when they’re not working.
Continue reading
“Why do they take the train during rush hour” or “why do they do their grocery shopping on Saturdays?” These seem like insignificant questions, but they’re ones we hear all the time.
They also come with a big assumption – that older people should organise themselves differently, so that other busy and productive people can make more efficient use of their time.
Some people might even go so far as to argue that this should be an act of intergenerational solidarity from older people. They suggest that the older generation should leave space free for working-age people, so they instead can access services and places when they’re not working.
Continue reading
Friday, 25 January 2013
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.
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.
Monday, 15 October 2012
Too old to work, or too young to retire? The pervasiveness of age norms in Western Europe
an article by Jonas Radl (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain) published in Work, Employment& Society Volume 26 Number 5 (October 2012)
Abstract
The ageism debate has pointed to the persistence of negative age stereotypes that hinder the prolongation of working lives.
However, the actual holders of discriminatory norms have remained largely anonymous because there is limited understanding of the pervasiveness of age norms.
This article discusses arguments derived from life course and social norms theory regarding the degree of internalisation of age-related norms. The focus is on individual differences in terms of social class and gender.
Using 2006 data from the European Social Survey, the article gathers empirical evidence on attitudes towards the timing of retirement in 14 Western European societies. A set of tobit models (Wikipedia article here) examines the determinants of retirement age norms for men and women.
The results suggest that social class has a strong impact on retirement age norms. Moreover, the analysis reveals a complex pattern of gendered norms concerning the timing of retirement.
Abstract
The ageism debate has pointed to the persistence of negative age stereotypes that hinder the prolongation of working lives.
However, the actual holders of discriminatory norms have remained largely anonymous because there is limited understanding of the pervasiveness of age norms.
This article discusses arguments derived from life course and social norms theory regarding the degree of internalisation of age-related norms. The focus is on individual differences in terms of social class and gender.
Using 2006 data from the European Social Survey, the article gathers empirical evidence on attitudes towards the timing of retirement in 14 Western European societies. A set of tobit models (Wikipedia article here) examines the determinants of retirement age norms for men and women.
The results suggest that social class has a strong impact on retirement age norms. Moreover, the analysis reveals a complex pattern of gendered norms concerning the timing of retirement.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Age Discrimination – 11 KBW
Age Discrimination – 11 KBW
via Current Awareness [Inner Temple Library] by sally
“How radical a change are the age discrimination provisions?“ is the title of a talk given by Adrian Lynch QC of kbw chambers.
He starts the talk by replying to his own question thus: “The short answer is, ‘Very’, or, in the light of the two recent Judgments of the Supreme Court to this area of the law, ‘Very, very’.”
Full text (PDF 13pp)
via Current Awareness [Inner Temple Library] by sally
“How radical a change are the age discrimination provisions?“ is the title of a talk given by Adrian Lynch QC of kbw chambers.
He starts the talk by replying to his own question thus: “The short answer is, ‘Very’, or, in the light of the two recent Judgments of the Supreme Court to this area of the law, ‘Very, very’.”
Full text (PDF 13pp)
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
A review and analysis of age-equality practice in the learning and skills sector
a publication from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in partnership with the University and College Union
At 68 pages I found this quite hard going, The power of the Internet to shorten our attention spans, or mine anyway is quite apparent
To provide a flavour I provide the Introduction to the Executive Summary.
Trades Union Congress research findings show that the most commonly cited form of employment
discrimination is age bias and that it can affect workers of all ages1. For example, older workers tend to be unfairly refused training or development opportunities or made to retire when they wish to continue work.
All workers, regardless of age, are protected under unfair dismissal, redundancy and other employment
protection rights.
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 covers all discrimination on the grounds of age. Besides
the legal requirement, there are number of compelling reasons for this research and for findings and
recommendations that lead to practical approaches to supporting older and younger workers.
The combination of the older age profile across the sector and the legal weight of age regulation provide
opportunities to address current age equality issues.
1 TUC http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/index.cfm
The full report is here.
At 68 pages I found this quite hard going, The power of the Internet to shorten our attention spans, or mine anyway is quite apparent
To provide a flavour I provide the Introduction to the Executive Summary.
Trades Union Congress research findings show that the most commonly cited form of employment
discrimination is age bias and that it can affect workers of all ages1. For example, older workers tend to be unfairly refused training or development opportunities or made to retire when they wish to continue work.
All workers, regardless of age, are protected under unfair dismissal, redundancy and other employment
protection rights.
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 covers all discrimination on the grounds of age. Besides
the legal requirement, there are number of compelling reasons for this research and for findings and
recommendations that lead to practical approaches to supporting older and younger workers.
The combination of the older age profile across the sector and the legal weight of age regulation provide
opportunities to address current age equality issues.
1 TUC http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/index.cfm
The full report is here.
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Predictors of attitudes to age across Europe
DWP Research Report 735 by Dominic Abrams, Christin-Melanie Vauclair and Hannah Swift (Centre for the Study of Group Processes, Department of Psychology, University of Kent)
This research examines the interaction of differences between individuals and differences between countries in the European region (28 countries) on people’s attitudes toward old age (i.e. beyond the age of 70), and on their experiences of ageism.
The research explores how people’s age and other demographics combine with different characteristics of the countries in which they dwell to affect responses to 13 measures that include some of the following:
Key Findings:
This research examines the interaction of differences between individuals and differences between countries in the European region (28 countries) on people’s attitudes toward old age (i.e. beyond the age of 70), and on their experiences of ageism.
The research explores how people’s age and other demographics combine with different characteristics of the countries in which they dwell to affect responses to 13 measures that include some of the following:
- age categorisation and identification;
- perceived status of people over 70;
- perceived threat from people over 70;
- perceptions of stereotypes of people aged over 70;
- how positively or negatively people feel towards those aged over 70 (direct prejudice); and
- people’s experiences of ageist prejudice against themselves.
Key Findings:
- Regardless of their own age, respondents in countries with a higher proportion of older people were more positive, suggesting that societal attitudes shift as a population ages. Older people’s status was perceived to be higher in countries that had later state pension ages.
- Age discrimination was personally experienced by about one third of all respondents, with the UK placed just below the average for all ESS countries. Across all ESS countries just under half of the respondents, including those from the UK, regarded age discrimination to be a serious or very serious issue.
- Age discrimination was affected by a variety of individual characteristics: with ageism being experienced more by younger people, those who were less well educated, felt poorer, were not in paid employment or were living in urban areas.
- Across all ESS countries the stereotypes of older people as friendly and competent were consistently affected by age, education and residential area, with the UK placed above average for friendliness and below average for competence for all ESS countries. The gap between these two stereotypes is therefore notably larger in the UK. At the country-level, countries with higher unemployment rates and a lower proportion of people aged over 65, stereotyped older people as less competent.
- At the country-level older people being seen as a threat to the economy was influenced by economy-related characteristics, whereas, older people being seen as a threat to health services was affected by state pension age for men, i.e. a policy-related variable.
ISBN: 978 1 84712 961 1
Hazel’s comment:
Because I'd left this in my drafts file for quite a while I had to go back to check the availability of the PDF and so on and found a blog post from 50-Plus Marketing which included the following quotes from Dick Stroud.
Hazel’s comment:
Because I'd left this in my drafts file for quite a while I had to go back to check the availability of the PDF and so on and found a blog post from 50-Plus Marketing which included the following quotes from Dick Stroud.
- The UK’s Department for Works and Pensions has published a report that tells us surprising little.
I thought it was strange the DWP should be involved in this sort of research until I saw how the guy responsible for pensions was spinning the research – “The idea that 59 is old belongs in the past. We need to challenge our perceptions of what old age actually means.” I suspect this is code for “we might have another bash at raising the pension age”.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Starting a new career at 60
via Entrepreneurial by Reuters Staff
The following is an interesting guest post on Entrepreneurial by Marci Alboher, vice president at Civic Ventures, a think tank making it easier for millions to find encore careers with personal meaning and social impact. This is part of the kickoff to a series on social entrepreneurship. The views expressed are the author's own.
Yes, it is American but that does not, at least in this instance, make it irrelevant.
OUCH! I’m not saying that American views are irrelevant but that business and education are very different the other side of the Atlantic and that, therefore, many of the careers articles become irrelevant to UK readers.
Mark Goldsmith created Getting Out and Staying Out, a program that reduces the recidivism rate of young men released from prisons and jails.
Elaine Santore founded Umbrella of the Capital District, a service that pairs retired handy people with aging homeowners who need help with small home repairs.
Adele Douglass created Humane Farm Animal Care, the nation's first programme to certify that farming practices are humane from birth to slaughter.
They are all social entrepreneurs – creative, inventive, enterprising individuals who bring their talent and passion to solving the problems of our day – and they are all over the age of 55.
Read the full post on Reuters blog
The following is an interesting guest post on Entrepreneurial by Marci Alboher, vice president at Civic Ventures, a think tank making it easier for millions to find encore careers with personal meaning and social impact. This is part of the kickoff to a series on social entrepreneurship. The views expressed are the author's own.
Yes, it is American but that does not, at least in this instance, make it irrelevant.
OUCH! I’m not saying that American views are irrelevant but that business and education are very different the other side of the Atlantic and that, therefore, many of the careers articles become irrelevant to UK readers.
Mark Goldsmith created Getting Out and Staying Out, a program that reduces the recidivism rate of young men released from prisons and jails.
Elaine Santore founded Umbrella of the Capital District, a service that pairs retired handy people with aging homeowners who need help with small home repairs.
Adele Douglass created Humane Farm Animal Care, the nation's first programme to certify that farming practices are humane from birth to slaughter.
They are all social entrepreneurs – creative, inventive, enterprising individuals who bring their talent and passion to solving the problems of our day – and they are all over the age of 55.
Read the full post on Reuters blog
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