In this project Professor Dominic Abrams and colleagues work with the Government Office for Science to review national and International research (conducted between 1979 and 2015) that explores attitudes to ageing. This project helps explain how certain attitudes can result in discrimination and other damaging consequences. Finally, it outlines the prevalence of perceived age-based discrimination and its consequences for individuals and society. This project has important implications for policy, research and practice that can help reduce ageism in society.
About
Ageism is the most prevalent form of discrimination in the UK (Abrams et al., 2011a), estimated to cost the economy £31 billion per year (Citizens Advice, 2007). It restricts employment opportunities and reduces workplace productivity and innovation. Ageism also results in inequality and social exclusion, reducing social cohesion and well-being. Not only is ageism a barrier to the inclusion and full participation of older people in society, but it also affects everyone by obscuring our understanding of the ageing process. Moreover, by reinforcing negative stereotypes, ageism can even shape patterns of behaviour that are potentially detrimental to people’s self-interest.
In this project, the researchers collaborate with the Government Office for Science to review national and international research (conducted between 1979 and 2015) that explores attitudes to ageing. This project helps explain how certain attitudes can result in discrimination and other damaging consequences. Finally, it outlines the prevalence of perceived age-based discrimination and its consequences for individuals and society.
This project has important implications for policy, research and practice that can help reduce ageism in society.
Research objectives
The objective was:
• Conduct a review of existing literature (last 25 years) on attitudes to ageing
Factors affecting prejudice investigated:
• Individual characteristics (age, gender, education, ethnic minority membership, working status, residential area, subjective poverty, intergenerational contact)
• Macro-social characteristics (GDP, Inequality, State pension age, Unemployment rate, Population age ratio, Urbanisation, Culural values)
Programme and methodology
• Detailed search of articles from 1979-2015 using Google Scholar
• 1552 articles were produced of which 738 were relevant research articles
• 160 of these originated in the UK (or internationally including the UK)
• Further review of 14 national/international surveys
• Further 30 articles generated from contact with funders and researchers
Findings
• Primarily positive effects of being older and being female on stereotypes and attitudes to old age.
• Primarily negative effects of being an urban dweller, subjectively poorer, and in work.
• More favourable view of the status of people aged over 70 years in:
• Richer and more unequal countries
• Countries with later SPAs
• Countries with higher proportion of people aged over 65
• Countries in which autonomy is valued more.
Impact
• This project offered new and important information on understanding ageism in Britain.
• The findings from this project give clear suggestions to policy-makers, researchers and practitioners on ways in which ageism can be reduced.
• Additional research using prospective or experimental designs to test the effect of different interventions to change or counter destructive age stereotypes.
e.g. Contact interventions weaken the ‘them–us’ age: intergenerational interaction, contact between people from different social groups
• Policies must be put in place to track and be responsive to, changing social attitudes and expectations about age and ageing.
• Findings suggest policymakers ensure the social inclusion and participation of older people as part of a generationally connected society.