Age Discrimination

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Dear Millards’ Employee,

You have been selected to test this lesson. Please let me know what you like and do not like about the lesson. I will be observing you while you work through the screens. If you feel comfortable, share what you are thinking by talking aloud as you go through this lesson.

Remember that we are testing the lesson, not you. If you do not understand, the lesson is in error, not you. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Millards’ ID

Age Discrimination

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What is your reaction to this statement?

“She is wrinkled all over her body, she drools constantly, and cannot control her bowels. She cannot groom herself, so someone must bathe her. She cannot digest solid food, and must be spoon fed. She cannot communicate very well, and has a hard time focusing. She cannot walk, and must be supervised almost 24 hours a day. She sleeps most of the day.”

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The description on the previous slide was given to a class of third year medical students. The lecture hall filled with groans of disgust as the students imagined the patient. Some were busy analyzing the facts and trying to come up with a diagnosis and possible treatment in case the lecturing doctor called on them.

The lecturer showed a slide of the patient --

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Q. What do you think the slide looked like?

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A. – the slide showed a two-week-old baby girl!

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We make fun of age with cards …

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Age Discrimination

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Age Discrimination

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You just read an example of stereotyping. Prejudice can be explained by the limitations of human memory. Because of limited memory it is common for people to simplify knowledge. People do this by categorizing and assigning characteristics to groups rather than to individuals. This makes much less to think about! The problem is that characteristics assigned to groups may not be fair or reasonable. For example, if you observe a bad driver who is female, you may categorize all females as bad drivers. This assumption is incorrect and leads to disrespect towards a group of people without any justification.

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There are many ways that people think of the elderly that are based on stereotypes. Take a minute and think through the chart on the following page. How many of statements on the chart might be applied to the elderly population alone? Ask yourself when you read through this information if YOU tend to think this way.

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Old Young Keep their distance from other age groupsOld Young Drive dangerouslyOld Young Think the world owes them a livingOld Young OpinionatedOld Young Never satisfied and always complainingOld Young Can’t depend on them as employeesOld Young Hang around parks and shopping mallsOld Young ForgetfulOld Young Have more freedom than other people

Old Young Don’t act their age

Which age group do you associate with these statements?

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Did YOU think in a stereotypical way?Reflect for a moment.

•Did you think of a specific age group on the previous page?

•When asked the question about the baby girl were you thinking of an older person?

•Were you stereotyping in these situations?

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Which ways of thinking are discriminatory?A. Disliking an elderly customer

because they were demanding and ungrateful.

B. Thinking most older people are unfriendly based on your experiences with an unfriendly neighbor.

C. Avoidance of elderly people because they make you feel uncomfortable.

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Statements B & C are discriminatory

A. Disliking one elderly customer because they were demanding and ungrateful is not discriminatory towards all elderly.

B. Assigning a characteristic to a group of people based on limited evidence is discriminatory. Your neighbors unfriendliness is not a reflection of all older people’s attitudes.

C. Avoiding all elderly people based on a feeling is discriminatory.

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Have people always had discriminatory attitudes towards the elderly?Which statements are true?

True False Puritans believed that age was considered a sign of favor

True False Puritans taught their youth to treat the elderly with respect

True False Henry David Thoreau said “I have

lived some 30 years on this planet and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors. They have told me nothing and probably cannot teach me anything.”

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All of the statements were true!

Overtime, American culture has moved to a disrespectful attitude towards the elderly.

Clothing is often fashioned for younger body types.

Gerontophobia, or fear of growing older, manifests itself in many ways.

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Derogatory vocabulary is used to describe older people: “old fogey”, “codger” and “gaffer”.

Expressions such as “You are only as old as you feel” or“Age before beauty” (implying that age is not beautiful) are commonplace.

Codger?

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Think of an example where the media treats the elderly with disrespect.

Think of current or past TV shows that are discriminatory

Think of movies stereotype older people

Think of ways that the advertising industry discriminates

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If people were educated they would understand the elderly better.Test your “age facts IQ”:

True False 1. People who are older do not see or hear as well as they did when they were younger.

True False 2. A majority of the elderly population are mentally depressed.

True False 3. Older people have less muscle mass than younger people

True False 4.The elderly have more automobile accidents

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Test your age facts IQ (continued):

True False 5. Older people cannot adapt to change.

True False 6. Learning new information is much slower for older people.

True False 7. Older people have more in common with each other than other age groups.

True False 8. Older people are socially isolated.

True False 9. Medical professionals tend to ignore the elderly.

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Answers:

1. T

2. F

3. T

4. F

5. F

6. T

7. F

8. F

9. T

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What can YOU do at Millards?

Based on the information that you’ve received in this lesson, make two suggestions for improving the treatment of the elderly at Millards. Think of store policies or events that might make the older Millards customers feel welcome and appreciated.

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The end