AGEISM UNMASKED

A study highlighting the enduring issue of age bias and discrimination in society.

Gendron, the chair of the gerontology department at Virginia Commonwealth University, has spent her career advocating for older adults. Combining her vast experience with relevant research, the author first exposes the roots of ageism and how modern culture, in its vapid quest for eternal youthfulness, frames the process of aging in condescending stereotypes. Gendron shows how preconceived notions about elderly populations as irrelevant, out of touch with modern society, and predominantly frail have persevered since ancient Greece, where “old age was conceptualized as a sad, downward slope of decrepitude.” While clinical and technological advancements have improved these situations, general attitudes, social determinants, and a systemic devaluing of older people remain unchanged. The author delves into discriminatory treatment and forced retirement situations in corporate environments as well as the more current conundrum of “COVID ageism,” and she shares stories about her own parents’ retirement “life stage” scenarios. Her examples illuminate a problem endemic in cultures across the globe, and the need for change is crucial. She points out some methods to create incremental change (some readers may wish for more proactive tips), including fighting the personal stigma of internalized oppression about growing old or being called old by others. While her prose is crisp, declarative, and scholarly, it is also accessible and accented with personality and wit; the inclusion of her own personal reflections about aging add a great amount of relatability and narrative connection. Readers concerned with aging will find Gendron’s discussion on the expectations of getting older, as well as the challenges many face with aging, refreshingly helpful. Also crucial is the author’s optimistic perspective about appreciating and embracing the aging process, which can promote better mental health, opportunities for productivity, personal development, and overall happiness.

A vital, applicable examination of how to fight inaccurate or unfair assumptions about growing old.