Page 76 - Demo

206 PILLAR 2 Development and LearningPSYCHOLOGY IN THE REAL WORLDAgeismCommon beliefs about the aging process result in negative stereotypes%u2014oversimplified and biased views of what people are like. . . . The stereotype would have us believe that old people are tired, cranky, passive, without energy, weak, and dependent on others.69Does the preceding quote reflect your beliefs about elderly people? If so, your thoughts also reflect ageism, the tendency to categorize and judge people on the basis of their chronological age.70 Just as racism works against those who are not of the race in power, ageism prevents older people from being as productive as they could be, blocks happiness, and works against self-esteem. Ageism does not allow its targets to live their lives the way they want.71Does ageism affect only older adults? Absolutely not. Where I live, I can go outside and walk around after 11:00 p.m., but my under-18 child cannot because of our local curfew. If we walk into a shoe store together to buy sneakers, I will be waited on before my daughter. Ageism affects people of all ages.Still, ageism does most of its damage to older adults. By prejudging them, it reduces their selfesteem and their ability to participate in society. It also fosters an attitude that accepts ageist policies, such as mandatory retirement. However, the tide seems to be turning. As the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) age and swell the numbers of retired Americans, stereotyping the elderly is becoming more difficult. The clich%u00e9d image of the rocking-chair grandparent is being replaced by mountain-climbing older people living life to the fullest.As the number of retirees increases, society is finding it more difficult to ignore the needs of this segment of the population. The politician who endorses legislation that negatively affects the over-65 set stands to lose a sizable number of votes from a group that regularly makes its opinion known at the polls. Finally, advances by gerontologists, those who scientifically study old age, may help change the perception of older people as tired, cranky, and passive. This change in perception may also help all of us identify with older people as our future selves instead of elderly others.72THINK ABOUT . . . Psychology in the Real World1. What do we call the tendency to judge people based on age?2. What is another word for those who scientifically study old age?3. How does ageism affect you? Recall a time when you felt discriminated against due to your age.Adding Life to Your YearsSome would say that successful aging is an oxymoron. Not so, says Harvard psychiatrist and world-renowned aging expert George Vaillant, whose research has shown that %u201cyou can add life to your years instead of just years to your life.%u201d73Vaillant has been involved in the most comprehensive study on aging ever conducted for more than 40 years. The original study began in the 1930s, with over 800 students at Harvard tracked from adolescence until old age or death. What leads to a healthier, longer life? The results have been both surprising and reassuring.%u201cI had expected that the longevity of your parents, the quality of your childhood, and your cholesterol levels would be very influential,%u201d says Vaillant. %u201cSo I was very surprised that these particular variables weren%u2019t more important than they were.%u201d74 Randy Glasbergen/Glasbergen.com%u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.