Ageism is alive and well in Canada

 In Canada in the 1980s-early 1990s, a subtle change started to take place in society as neoliberalism’s creeping ideological rhetoric entered the public domain. The mantra of “individual (or personal) responsibility” and “choice” could be found over and over again in everything from academic publications to the mainstream press. This rhetoric was accompanied by a political-economic shift that included the privatization and profitization of many of Canada’s social welfare programs.

The term ageism has had different interpretations since it was first coined by Robert Butler in 1969 when he described “age discrimination or age-ism [as] the prejudice by one age toward other age groups”. A current definition provided by the World Health Organization in 2020 states that ageism is “the stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against people on the basis of their age” (2020). Ageism is widespread across the globe and in most societies such as Canada’s it “is the most socially ‘normalized’ of any prejudice and is not widely countered – like racism or sexism”.

Media has helped to foster ageism through the negative stereotyping of older people, resulting in age discrimination in the workforce, and the marginalization, and even exclusion, of older people in their communities, which in turn “have negative impacts on the health and well-being” of the older population.

An earlier Canadian survey produced for the International Federation on Aging, The Revera Report on Ageism (2012), reflected the information provided by the World Health Organization 2020- 2021. While any age group can be the recipient of ageism, the two groups most singled out today are the young and the old, but with the greater proportion of ageism focused on older adults. The Revera Report found that ageism is the most tolerated form of social discrimination in the country, more so than either gender or race-based prejudice. It revealed that the most common forms of age discrimination are: 1) treating seniors as if they are invisible; 2) acting as if they have nothing to contribute; 3) assuming they are incompetent; and 4) allowing ageism to take place in the workplace and housing. The Revera Report also found that in general 89% of Canadians hold a negative view of aging, while Generations X and Y are the most likely group to have formed negative opinions on aging, which includes perceptions that people 75 and older are unpleasant, dependent, grumpy, and frail (p.10). A more recent Revera Report on Ageism published in May 2016, found that ageism “continue[d] to be widespread in Canada” and is still the “most tolerated form of social prejudice in Canada, with more than 42% of Canadians citing ageism, which is double to that of racism (20%) and sexism (17%)”.

Since the early 1800s, old age in our culture has been perceived in either a positive or negative light based on a number of factors:

1)    “a ‘good’ old age was depicted by good health, virtue, self-reliance and salvation;

2)    a ’bad’ old age reflected sickness, sin, dependence, decay and disease”

Victorian morality also associated ‘bad’ old age with sin, as well as decay and dependence. Prior to the industrialization of the 1800s-1900s, a primarily rural economy relied on experience that came with age, enabling older (and healthy) adults to fall into the ‘good’ old age category that had value within the society. The attitude toward ageing changed with the increasing industrialization which relied on strength and speed, qualities found in young workers that would increase productivity and profit.

At the same time, the ‘Cult of Youth’ developed in Hollywood in the 1910s-1920s became ingrained in the consciousness of North Americans and much of the Western world. This idea reinforces the belief that old age should be avoided regardless of the consequences. Association with older people is discouraged based on the grounds that doing so would “devalue” the younger person in contact with the aging individual.

 

Ageism and neoliberal thought

 Margaret Thatcher in 1981 said, “There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. Economics is the method; the object is to change the soul.”

She was one of the leaders in the development of neoliberalism in the late 1970s–early 1980s, which was shaped by the ideology of individualism rooted in 19th century America. Regan, Thatcher and others provided the foundation for capitalism and the subsequent introduction of neoliberalism into world systems of government. Emphasizing self-reliance, independence, and productivity, individualism negatively characterizes any form of weakness or dependence. Building on the ideology of individualism, neoliberalism contributes to the belief that to have value as an older person in our society, you must continue to be healthy and productive or have enough wealth to maintain complete independence.

And two of the primary tenets of neoliberal ideology – ‘choice’ and ‘personal responsibility – provide the method to maintain independence in old age.

The neoliberal policies put into place by Thatcher and Reagan rapidly became the new orthodoxy of economics that has dominated the political-economic structure of western nations since the mid-1980s. Neoliberalism holds that state involvement in public affairs inflicts a negative impact on the social and economic development of its citizens; and proposed that by reducing the power of the state, power would be transferred to the individual, a supposedly ideal situation embraced by nations with a strong belief in.

According to neoliberal thought, all forms of social solidarity were to be dissolved in favour of individualism, private property, personal responsibility and family values. But although neoliberalism promises less government intervention in public affairs, neoliberal governments in fact remain involved in the administration of public institutions. However, rather than provide government support of public services, an economic market model of the industry has been imposed on public institutions. The purpose of government is thus transformed from a system that protects the interests of its citizens, to one that protects the interests of corporations.

Contrary to neoliberal thought, aging is not simply an individual activity. It takes place within a number of sociopolitical and economic variables, as well as health influences, which may often be beyond the ability of the individual to control. Consequently, research has shown that income and social status, two of the determinants of health, are among the primary factors affecting individual health, with the greater the disparity of income, the greater the differences in health.

 

April 1 foolishness

His Excellent Memory Three old men are discussing their failing memories. The first old man says, "Today I was at the top of the stairs, and I couldn't remember if I had just gone up or was about to go down." The second old man says, "I was sitting at the edge of my bed, and I couldn't remember if I was about to sleep or just woke up." The third man scoffs and says, "My memory is as good as ever, knock on wood." With this, he hits the table twice with his knuckle, looks up in surprise and yells "Who's there?"

It's Not Easy Finding a Job.  At my first job, I was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned. I just couldn't concentrate. 

Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe. 

After that, I tried being a tailor, but I wasn't suited for it - mainly because it was a sew-sew job. 

Next, I tried working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because I got tired of the same old grind. 

Then, I tried being a chef - I figured it would add spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme. 

Next, I tried working in a deli, but anyway I sliced it, I just couldn't cut the mustard.

 My best job was as a musician, but I eventually found I wasn't noteworthy. 

I studied for a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

 Next up was a job in a shoe factory - I tried hard, but I just didn't fit in. 

After that, I became a fisherman, but I discovered I couldn't live on my net income.

 Next, I managed to get a job at a pool maintenance company, but the work was too draining. 

So, after that, I got a job at a workout center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

 After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as a historian, but I realized there was no future in it. 

My last job was when I tried working in a muffler factory, but that was too exhausting. 

So, I tried retirement! And I Found I'm PERFECT For the Job!

The Way it Used to Be  A boy returns home from running an errand for his quarantined grandfather. He says, "Grandpa, I got all the groceries you wanted! Altogether, it came to $47.22. Here's your change." Grandpa says, "My goodness, the world is expensive nowadays. When I was a boy your age, I could get five pounds of potatoes, three loaves of bread, two pounds of beef, a jug of milk, a tin of tobacco for my dad, and a handful of my favourite candies, all for about five cents. "Can't do that today, though. No siree Bob!" "Why is that grandpa?" asks the boy. "Too many bloody cameras."

The Preacher's Paycheck There was a preacher whose wife was expecting a baby, so he went before the congregation and asked for a raise. After much discussion, they passed a rule that whenever the preacher's family expanded, so would his paycheck. After 6 children, this started to get expensive and the congregation decided to hold another meeting to discuss the preacher's salary. There was much yelling and bickering about how much the clergyman's additional children were costing the church. Finally, the Preacher got up and spoke to the crowd, "Children are a gift from God," he said. Silence fell on the congregation. In the back pew, a little old lady stood up and in her frail voice said, "Rain is also a gift from God, but when we get too much of it, we wear rubbers." And the congregation said, "Amen." 

I Sit Beside The Fire and Think

A nice way to end a hectic month a poem by J R R Tolkien

I sit beside the fire and think

Of all that I have seen

Of meadow flowers and butterflies

In summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

In autumns that there were

With morning mist and silver sun

And wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think

Of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring

That I shall ever see

For still there are so many things

That I have never seen

In every wood in every spring

There is a different green

I sit beside the fire and think

Of people long ago

And people that will see a world

That I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think

Of times there were before

I listen for returning feet

And voices at the door