Robert Butler Ageism

In “Ageism: Another Form of Bigotry” by Robert N. Butler, he defines ageism as “a form of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people simply because they are old” (559). This is caused by the stereotypes and myth created against them. According to Butler, older people are also often invisible, which he says is seen in emergency situations when they are thought of last. He also states that, there is a major emphasis on being young, and a fear of aging. That no one wants to be old, or accept the fact that we are not going to be young forever. Lastly, Butler writes that this disregard for older people or being old, affects the medical treatment of older people. Medical professionals will not treat certain problems an older person may face, or attribute a medical problem to the process of ageing.

In “Elder Liberation Draft Policy Statement” by Marge Larabee, she writes about the need to change society's views on older people, and dismantle the myth that the feelings and competence of older people are not similar to those of any age. Larabee attests the discrimination of older people to the “rapidly evolving technologies [which] have lessened the value of the knowledge and experience of older adults” (572). She writes

This is in the way older people can work with younger people to make them feel included. She writes about creating and giving them a space where their importance and value is expressed. While Patricia Markee, in “What Allies of elders Can Do,” writes about ending ageism. She starts off by stating that ageism affects us all despite our age. She then goes on to ask us to accept the reality that we all age, and get old. Thus, we should work to fight against ageism. To which she believes is in challenging the stereotypes we, as a society, have attached to