Ageist Language Research Articles

‘Retire, play petanque, take synthrom, travel, eat a blue pill and screw two old ladies’: Ageist language in Spain on Twitter

Ageist language discriminates against older people, infantilising, depersonalising and dehumanising them. Through a longitudinal study of tweets written in Spain between 2019 and 2023, this study investigates the evolution of ageism in the Spanish language. Using a mixed methodology based on Twitter public data mining, 27,971 tweets were analysed. Of these, 3555 tweets (19.31%) used ageist language. The analysis revealed a significant increase in ageist language after COVID-19, with the number of ageist tweets almost doubling compared to the pre-pandemic period. The results of the study suggest that ageist language on Twitter in Spain is mainly characterised by depersonalisation, portraying older people as a homogeneous and passive group. The study also highlights the double discrimination faced by older women on Twitter, where the language is not only ageist but also sexist, limiting their privacy and denying their rights in relation to their sexuality and physical appearance.

BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS THE GENERATIONS: RESEARCH ON DIVERSE APPROACHES FOR INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTIONS

Abstract Intergenerational bonds are a unique and critically important set of social connections that have powerful impacts on families and communities, as well as the older and younger people themselves. America is increasingly age-segregated, so that naturally occurring, cross-generational contacts are not as common as they have been in previous eras. Research from the FrameWorks Institute and others suggest that ageist language can further divide the generations, create a sense of “othering,” and contribute to the isolation and minimization of older adults. Conversely, studies also show that meaningful intergenerational programming, which brings to light the strengths of both generations, may reduce social isolation and loneliness and enhance the physical and mental well-being of older adults. This symposium will bring together three research projects each exploring diverse approaches to intergenerational connections. The first paper will present lessons learned from a study of digital communication between grandparents and grandchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implications this shift in communications has on the psychological well-being of older grandparents. The second paper will present findings regarding the physical and psychosocial outcomes experienced by older adults who provide intergenerational tutoring in elementary school settings. The final session will highlight the process of integrating implementation science frameworks into a multistage study design aimed to assess the implementation of an intergenerational technology program within higher education. The session will wrap-up with a discussion on how these projects fit within the broader scope of intergenerational programs, and will highlight gaps and further opportunities for research in this field.

Examining Public Awareness of Ageist Terms on Twitter: Content Analysis.

The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Gerontological Society of America have made efforts to raise awareness on ageist language and propose appropriate terms to denote the older adult population. The COVID-19 pandemic and older adults' vulnerability to the disease have perpetuated hostile ageist discourse on social media. This is an opportune time to understand the prevalence and use of ageist language and discuss the ways forward. This study aimed to understand the prevalence and situated use of ageist terms on Twitter. We collected 60.32 million tweets between March and July 2020 containing terms related to COVID-19. We then conducted a mixed methods study comprising a content analysis and a descriptive quantitative analysis. A total of 58,930 tweets contained the ageist terms "old people" or "elderly." The more appropriate term "older adult" was found in 11,328 tweets. Twitter users used ageist terms (eg, "old people" and "elderly") to criticize ageist messages (17/60, 28%), showing a lack of understanding of appropriate terms to describe older adults. Highly hostile ageist content against older adults came from tweets that contained the derogatory terms "old people" (22/30, 73%) or "elderly" (13/30, 43%). The public discourse observed on Twitter shows a continued lack of understanding of appropriate terms to use when referring to older adults. Effort is needed to eliminate the perpetuation of ageist messages that challenge healthy aging. Our study highlights the need to inform the public about appropriate language use and ageism.

Anti-Ageism for Gerontologists

ABSTRACT We argue that gerontologists are products of our ageist culture and that we both perpetuate ageism and suffer from internalized ageism ourselves. We make ageist comments, deny our own age, fail to teach students to recognize and confront ageism, and use language that otherizes and categorizes older people. Gerontologists are in ideal positions to confront ageism through our scholarly work, teaching, and community engagement. However, we suggest that, despite our deep gerontological knowledge, we do not have enough awareness, knowledge, and skills for taking anti-ageism actions in these arenas of our professional lives. We offer some suggestions for confronting ageism, including self-study, increasing content on ageism in the classroom and beyond, pointing out ageist language and behaviors to colleagues and students, working with diversity, equity and inclusion offices on campus, and giving careful consideration to our research approaches and academic writing. To go forward, we must increase awareness about ageism and gain skills in promoting anti-ageism.

Does Ageist Language in Job Ads Predict Age Discrimination in Hiring?

We study the relationships between ageist stereotypes - as reflected in the language used in job ads - and age discrimination in hiring, exploiting the text of job ads and differences in callbacks to older and younger job applicants from a resume (correspondence study) field experiment (Neumark, Burn, and Button, 2019). Our analysis uses computational linguistics and machine learning methods to examine, in a field-experiment setting, ageist stereotypes that might underlie age discrimination in hiring. In so doing, we develop methods and a framework for analyzing textual data, highlighting the usefulness of various computer science techniques for empirical economics research. We find evidence that language related to stereotypes of older workers sometimes predicts discrimination against older workers. For men, we find evidence that age stereotypes about all three categories we consider - health, personality, and skill - predict age discrimination, and for women, age stereotypes about personality predict age discrimination. In general, the evidence that age stereotypes predict age discrimination is much stronger for men, and our results for men are quite consistent with the industrial psychology literature on age stereotypes.

Stereotyping Older Adults: How Labels and Perceived Age Influence Ratings

ABSTRACT Ageist language can bias research, with past findings indicating that labels such as ‘elderly’ invoke more negative stereotypes than neutral labels. We investigated how labels, contact, and perceived age influence stereotypes of older adults in Germany. One hundred and sixteen German-speaking participants (age-range = 14–33) reported their stereotypes and perceived age for one of three labels for older adults and reported contact with their grandparents. Targets labeled as ‘people the age of grandparents’ were perceived as older (modal age-range 70–90 years) and targets labeled as ‘older adults’ (modal age-range 50–70 years) as younger than those labeled ‘people 70–85 years of age.’ Stereotype ratings did not vary by label but were more negative when the target was perceived as older and more positive when contact with own grandparents was higher. Researchers and practitioners should use care in selecting labels when conducting and communicating their research as well as working with older adults.

Age Discrimination by Platforms

This Essay explores how platforms in the workplace (both social media and hiring platforms) might enable, facilitate, or contribute to age discrimination in employment. The Essay starts with evidence of age discrimination on popular platforms particularly with regard to design elements used to redline, dissuade, or cull older applicants. It then presents the challenging legal issues raised by the mediation of such discriminatory practices by a platform, notably in regards to proof of both disparate treatment and disparate impact. The Essay then puts forth a three-part proposal to combat age discrimination in the face of platform authoritarianism. Those proposals include: 1) education regarding the use of ageist language in job ads; 2) the reinforcement of the disparate impact cause of action for the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) via codification; and 3) new EEOC guidelines for design and documentation requirements for job advertisement, recruitment, and hiring platforms.

Youth climate activists meet environmental governance: ageist depictions of the FFF movement and Greta Thunberg in German newspaper coverage

ABSTRACT In this paper, the domination of the youth climate movement by the use of derogatory ageist language in German newspapers is uncovered. We find that German newspapers use different ageist media images, including ‘pupils’, ‘absentees’ and ‘dreamers’, to de-legitimize the FridaysForFuture movement. Greta Thunberg is presented as a ‘young hero’, who is held responsible for youngsters’ absenteeism. FAZ and taz present a paternalist discourse in which the central narrative is that the young climate activists are pupils who are ignorant and still need to learn; and who are obliged by law to go to school. We argue that German newspapers align with the exclusive hegemony of an established environmental governance regime that struggles with the problematic phasing out of coal in Germany. Instead, a common practice of reluctancy and skepticism appears inherited in conservative discussions on climate action led by FAZ and the so-called coal commission.

Older Workers Need Not Apply? Ageist Language in Job Ads and Age Discrimination in Hiring

We study the relationships between ageist stereotypes – as reflected in the language used in job ads – and age discrimination in hiring, exploiting the text of job ads and differences in callbacks to older and younger job applicants from a resume (correspondence study) field experiment (Neumark, Burn, and Button, 2019). Our analysis uses methods from computational linguistics and machine learning to directly identify, in a field-experiment setting, ageist stereotypes that underlie age discrimination in hiring. The methods we develop provide a framework for applied researchers analyzing textual data, highlighting the usefulness of various computer science techniques for empirical economics research. We find evidence that language related to stereotypes of older workers sometimes predicts discrimination against older workers. For men, our evidence points to age stereotypes about all three categories we consider – health, personality, and skill – predicting age discrimination, and for women, age stereotypes about personality. In general, the evidence is much stronger for men, and our results for men are quite consistent with the industrial psychology literature on age stereotypes.

Against ‘Aging’ – How to Talk about Growing Older

Language shapes thought, and ageist language invisibly spreads ageist thinking. Observing that embodiment theory has largely neglected to theorize age (a universal intersection), the author expands that theory. Here is a first attempt to fully critique the term ‘aging’ wherever it implies ageism, and to suggest alternative language for ‘aging’ in both its adjectival and its nominative forms. The essay also historicizes the recent move in cultural studies of age toward using the term ‘age’ (as in Age Studies) instead of ‘aging’. Gullette argues that wording that replaces aging and explicates ageism helps undo submission to the ideology of life-course decline, liberating observation, potentially undoing internalized ageism and lessening the widespread fear of growing older.

Accessibility and suitability of residential alcohol treatment for older adults: a mixed method study

BackgroundWhilst alcohol misuse is decreasing amongst younger adults in many countries, it is increasing in older adults. Residential rehabilitation (rehab) is a vital component of the alcohol treatment system, particularly for those with relatively complex needs and entrenched alcohol problems. In this study, we sought to find out to what extent rehabs in England have upper age limits that exclude older adults, whether rehabs are responsive to older adults’ age-related needs and how older adults experience these services.MethodThis is a mixed method study. A search was carried out of Public Health England’s online directory of rehabs to identify upper age thresholds. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with 16 individuals who had attended one of five residential rehabs in England and Wales since their 50th birthday. A researcher with experience of a later life alcohol problem conducted the interviews.ResultsOf the 118 services listed on Public Health England’s online directory of rehabs, 75% stated that they had an upper age limit that would exclude older adults. Perceived differences in values, attitudes and behaviour between younger and older residents had an impact on older residents’ experience of rehab. Activities organised by the rehabs were often based on physical activity that some older adults found it difficult to take part in and this could create a sense of isolation. Some older adults felt unsafe in rehab and were bullied, intimidated and subjected to ageist language and attitudes.ConclusionThis study identified direct and indirect age discrimination in rehabs contrary to the law. Further research is required to find out if age discrimination exists in rehabs in other countries. Rehabs should remove arbitrary age limits and ensure that they are responsive to the needs of older adults.

Gendered and 'Ageed' Language and Power Inequalities: An Intersectional Approach

A great deal has been written about the causes of gender inequality, and much of this literature has tackled the role of language as a mechanism of social exclusion. More recent analysis of gender inequalities indicates how vital it is that we understand the impact that different social characteristics, including age, can have simultaneously on a person's life situation. These factors should be examined together and at the same time, and as such they invite the kind of approach that is made possible by the concept of intersectionality. The aim of this article is to bridge the gap that exists between different streams of research. It approaches the analysis of gender and age from an intersectional perspective. It also draws on work on the reinforcement of gender inequalities through gendered language and engages with research on age-related social inequalities and especially on the specific gender bias of ageism and ageist language. We propose that an intersectional approach be brought to bear on the analysis of sexist and ageist language in order to draw these lines of inquiry together. In doing so we hope to contribute to a better understanding of the social position of women and men of different ages and the role of language in reproducing and reinforcing the inequalities of power created by attitudes to differences of gender and age. It is our belief that an intersectional approach has huge potential for future work in gender studies, sociolinguistic theory, and other avenues of research.

A Theory of Relational Ageism: A Discourse Analysis of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.

The widespread use of ageist language is generally accepted as commonplace and routine in most cultures and settings. In order to disrupt ageism, we must examine the use of ageist language and sentiments among those on the front line of providing advocacy, services, and policy for older adults; the professional culture of the aging services network. The recorded video segments from the sixth White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) provided a unique opportunity to examine discourse used by professionals and appointed representatives in the field of aging within a professional sociocultural context. A qualitative discourse analysis of video recordings was used to analyze the 15 video fragments that comprised the recorded sessions of the 2015 WHCOA. About 26 instances were identified that captured statements expressing personal age, aging or an age-related characteristic negatively in regard to self or other (microageism), and/or statements expressing global negative opinions or beliefs about aging and older adults based on group membership (macroageism). A theoretical pathway was established that represents the dynamic process by which ageist statements were expressed and reinforced (relational ageism). Numerous instances of ageism were readily identified as part of a live streamed and publically accessible professional conference attended and presented by representatives of the aging services network. To make meaningful gains in the movement to disrupt ageism and promote optimal aging for all individuals, we must raise awareness of the relational nature, expression, and perpetuation of ageism.

A Social Work Perspective on How Ageist Language, Discourses and Understandings Negatively Frame Older People and Why Taking a Critical Social Work Stance Is Essential

A Social Work Perspective on How Ageist Language, Discourses and Understandings Negatively Frame Older People and Why Taking a Critical Social Work Stance Is Essential

Ageism, Language and the Law

Many aspects of North American culture perpetuate ageism, yet as a society we have been so conditioned by the prejudice and discrimination against old age that we often fail to acknowledge its existence. One of the common ways that ageism is reflected and reinforced in culture is through the use of ageist language. Ageist language includes any and all stereotypes or beliefs about aging. These stereotypes can be found in the media, healthcare and education system, workplace, and even regular, everyday conversations. The purpose of this paper is to describe how ageist language permeates one aspect of culture: written judgments.

Ageism and Ageist Language Across the Life Span: Intimate Relationships and Non‐intimate Interactions

The possible effects of ageist language and ageism on the structure and function of intimate and non‐intimate relationships have received significant attention from social scientists. Recent research grounded in communication accommodation theory ( Giles, Mulac, Bradac, & Johnson, 1987 ), the communication predicament model of ageing ( Ryan, Giles, Bartolucci, & Henwood, 1986 ), the communication enhancement model of ageing ( Ryan, Meredith, MacLean, & Orange, 1995 ), and ageing and stereotype research by Hummert (1994) and colleagues ( Hummert & Mazloff, 2001 ; Hummert, Shaner, & Garstka, 1995) point toward the numerous consequences of both negative and positive attitudes toward ageing. Focusing specifically on health care settings, this article reviews recent theoretical positions and empirical findings that link ageist language and ageism to these positive and negative social consequences, and offers pragmatic suggestions and directions for future research.

ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ELDERLY: IDENTIFYING PROBLEMATIC USAGE OF AGEIST AND OVEREXTENDED TERMINOLOGY IN RESEARCH INSTRUCTIONS

Many problems have recently been identified and discussed concerning the assessment of attitudes toward the elderly. One problem is the use of ageist and overextended terminology to describe people in late adulthood, particularly in research studies that have attempted to measure attitudes toward that age segment. The present paper posits that using such stereotypical language during the research process, especially during the data gathering process, creates bias in attitudes toward individuals in late adulthood and affects the accuracy of results obtained from those studies. With that position as a guide, the purpose of this study was to uncover possible differences and effects that stereotypical descriptions of the elderly population may cause by using ageist terminology in any part of the data gathering process, specifically during the instruction and questionnaire phases of the study. Using Polizzi's (April, 2001) refined version of the Aging Semantic Differential on a sample of 142 undergraduate students, it was hypothesized that the two ageist descriptive categories (i.e., "old" and "elderly) would contribute to significantly different attitude scores than the "70-85 years of age" category. This hypothesis was supported when several significant differences were found among the three descriptive categories. A second hypothesis stated that attitude scores would be significantly more positive toward people in the "70-85 years of the age" category than the other two categories. This hypothesis was also supported. The descriptive category known as "old" was the least positively viewed group, while the "70-85 years of age" category was viewed the most positively. It was concluded that ageist language does indeed have an effect on attitude scores. Implications of the findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are cited.

LEARNING ABOUT OLDER LEARNERS: TRAINING UNDERGRADUATES AS RESEARCHERS

Students in an experimental design class were trained in survey research and gerontological research issues through a class project that involved interviewing older adults and resulted in a term paper written as a journal manuscript. Various other aspects of the course, including statistical analysis, library searches, informed consent issues, and dealing with sexist and ageist language, were integrated into this class project. Benefits of this approach to teaching experimental design are discussed.

Increasing Use of Ageist Language in Skin-Care Product Advertising:

This study examined frequencies in the use of ageist language in skin-care product advertisements in Vogue magazine from 1969 through 1988 to determine any trends. Findings indicate that there has been a statistically significant nonlinear increase in the frequency of use of ageist language in skin-care product advertising in Vogue magazine over the 20-year study period. That is, data show a decline throughout the 1970's with a marked rise in the 1980's. Possible influencing factors may reflect changes in Vogue's readership related to cohort age range, increased educational and personal income levels, and work force participation, inflation rates, and fear of aging.

Ageist language in psychological research.

Ageist language in psychological research.