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The quest to be 'not old.'
Ageism differs from other forms of oppression in two significant ways. First, it is the one source of disadvantage that we will all face, should we live long enough, though when and how depends upon a number of factors. In addition, because our culture is ageist, we learn this form of bigotry from the time we are born. As a result, we ultimately oppress ourselves: Either we try to avoid the aging process or we lose self-esteem because of the selves we feel we are becoming.
This attempt to distance ourselves from those who are old and from our own aging often centers upon our bodies. In this article, I explore the connections between ageism, how bodies are experienced, and the anti-aging industry
AGEISM AND AGE RELATIONS
Ageism includes categorization, stereotyping, and prejudice, but the most crucial aspect is exclusionary behavior. In Butler's (1969, p. 243) original formulation, ageism is the "systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish this with skin color and gender." Individuals may or may not act in accordance with their prejudices. Thus, just as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally forbids some forms of race-based discrimination regardless of individual prejudice, so too does the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 outlaw age-based discrimination in the workplace regardless of employers' ageist beliefs. A focus on exclusionary behavior highlights societal characteristics that help explain the persistence of ageism in the United States despite changing values and beliefs. This focus pushes us to explore how, for example, ageism can be embedded in institutions such that simply following "normal" procedures or behaving in taken-for-granted ways can exclude old people, even if individuals do not harbor ageist attitudes.
Ageism is founded in age relations. Societies organize on the basis of age such that different age groups gain identities and power in relation to one another. Thus, membership in age categories shapes our self-concepts and carries material consequences that influence our life chances. This arrangement means that some age groups benefit from ageism at others' expense. Those who are "not old" escape stigma and feel included. They face less competition for valuable resources, such as jobs, wealth, or...