TATENDA MICHELE KUFAKWAME
Ageism remains an unseen nemesis in an era pushing for progress, disregarding potential insight, and inhibiting social development, according to various scholars.
Untying the threads of ageism is not only an endeavour towards inclusivity but also a step further towards attaining every dimension of human potential. In correspondence to the World Health Organization (WHO), ageism pervades many institutions and areas of society, such as those that provide social and medical services, together with people who work in the job market, the media, and the legal system.
A 2020 longitudinal study discovered that age dictated who received multiple medical procedures or therapies in 85% of 149 studies.
Having said that, the objective of this piece is to investigate the various contexts in which ageism is encountered globally. Secondly, it attempts to make known some of the attempts taken to counter problems of ageism by states and organisations concerned.
According to an article published by the United Nations (UN) in 2021, the reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic revealed various instances of ageism around the world.
Older and younger people have been stigmatised via public discourse and on social media. Age has been regarded as a single criterion for getting medical care, lifesaving therapies, and physical isolation in some cases. Covid-19 was spoken about as more dangerous for the elderly, which resulted in the elderly people receiving first preference for medical attention. However, young people, regardless of their “strong” immune systems, still succumbed to the virus.
Moreover, in the workplace, both older and younger individuals often feel disadvantaged as entry to professional education and training drops radically with age. The age bias towards young adults manifests itself throughout a variety of contexts, which include employment, home ownership, and politics, where young people's opinions are often overlooked or dismissed.
Regarding employment, age bias presents itself as working experience. When applying for a job post, a candidate fresh out of college without at least five years of working experience is most likely to be rejected. The candidate or applicant who has worked in that field for ten years will get that job as they are seen to be mature and experienced.
In relation to age discrimination in property ownership, young individuals are susceptible to discrimination due to their age from financiers or landlords, as the landlords presume that younger people have less steady revenue or poor credit histories, which could make it hard for them to get mortgages or lease agreements.
For instance, according to the British research institution, only 27% of people owned a personal home in 2015-16, compared with 66% in 1995-96. These statistics were derived from the Reuters webpage titled Homeownership among young Brits plunging amid house price surge: study published in 2018.
However, in as much as ageism is rampant amongst Gen Z’s and millennials, it is crucial to note that older people experience ageism, too. As a result of age-related preconceptions, older staff members may face ageism in the workplace, such as being overlooked for job advancements or facing contract terminations.
Industry restructuring, because of globalisation and rapid shifts in technology, led to the shutdown of Mitsubishi Motors in Adelaide, Australia, and an end of steel manufacturing in the Hunter state of New South Wales from February 2013 through to February 2014.
From a total workforce of 11.5 million, around 381 000 Australian workers were displaced (ABS 2014). According to an assessment of mature-age employment in Australia, ‘’many older workers who become unemployed did not intentionally retire, but this happened by default when they struggled to find employment due to their age and were unable to reshape into a different field of work.
Additionally, because it is believed that older people are not proficient in technology, they may be excluded from internet platforms and amenities, restricting their exposure to knowledge and possibilities. For instance, there are not so many graphic user interfaces such as Microsoft, which are accommodative to the baby boomer generations.
As a remedy, the Australian government, through research and observations, focused on displaced older employees. From lower-skilled blue-collar occupations, the role of public and private providers in the vocational schooling and training (VET) sector in helping them find new employment. According to Circelli and Stanwick (2014), VET and its initiatives strive to ensure that people in disadvantaged communities get skills that allow them to gain jobs locally or that allows them to move across zones if local opportunities are not accessible.
Digitally, the establishment of senior-friendly user interfaces such as mint, a budget and cost tracker with a clean user interface and a clear visual structure. The page's design elements are nicely organised, and significant phrases are highlighted in bold, which helps to focus attention on the most important things first. Basic diagrams are used to represent data. These characteristics make the app ideal for seniors.
In my opinion, a lot needs to be done in order to rectify the unpleasant working and living conditions brought on by ageism. Raising awareness to the public about the issue's severity could be a good starting point to curb ageism. Moreover, encouraging public engagement on the issue could present more ideas on how to deal with ageism in various settings.
Tatenda Michele Kufakwame is an emerging scholar at the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg.
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