1.3 Age discrimination
Stereotypes and prejudice are how we think and feel. Discrimination is how we act.
Direct age discrimination is when someone is treated less favourably than others because of their age.
Indirect age discrimination occurs when a policy or practice that applies to everyone puts people of a particular age group at a disadvantage.
Both direct and indirect age discrimination occurs on both a personal and organisational / institutional level.
Activity 4
Think about whether the following are examples of direct or indirect age discrimination:
a.
Direct age discrimination
b.
Indirect age discrimination
The correct answer is a.
Answer
Direct age discrimination, he has been treated differently.
a.
Direct age discrimination
b.
Indirect age discrimination
The correct answer is b.
Answer
Indirect age discrimination, it puts older people at a disadvantage as they are less likely to be digitally included.
a.
Direct age discrimination
b.
Indirect age discrimination
The correct answer is a.
Answer
Direct age discrimination, the employee has been treated differently due to their age.
Stereotypes and assumptions
Age-based stereotypes may also result in someone drawing very different conclusions when seeing an older and a younger adult with back pain or a limp. They might well assume that the younger person's condition is temporary and treatable, perhaps the result of an accident, while the older person's condition might be assumed to be chronic and less responsive to treatment.
This assumption may have no consequence if someone makes it in the blink of an eye as someone is passing on the street, but if it is held by a health professional offering treatment or managers thinking about occupational health, it could inappropriately influence their actions and lead to age-related discrimination.
This treatment can occur as the result of ageist stereotypes and prejudice or because of a failure to see individual differences.