Rethinking Ageing[1]
“It seems
indisputable to me that rethinking of ageism can not be based on the assumption
that old age exists. And it
follows directly from this, that we must critically examine the logic of
creating a category of people and calling it the elderly, the old or the aged.”
“In
Butler’s definition the critical sentence is:
Ageism
can be seen as a process of systematic stereotyping of and discrimination
against people because they are
old, just as racism and sexism accomplished this because of skin colour and
gender.”
“The main
reference to age in Butler’s definition is the word ‘old’. His conceptulation of
ageism is related to a discernible group of people who can be referred to a
old. He, like many others uses a number of words to refer to this group –
older, elderly, aged –but not in the way which challenges the presumption of it’s
existences.”
[1] Material of this post is gathered from the book Ageism: Rethinking
Ageing Organized and presented by Bill Pathway ISBN 0-335-19176-4 (pub). For those of you who are interested in
the study of Ageism this book is a must have!
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