Ageism: A prejudice touching both young and old

Summary

Prejudice and discrimination can be both subtle and blatant. It offends and affects both young and old. If our goal as teacher or caregiver is to guide children to grow up in a world that celebrates diversity and strives to reduce and eventually eliminate destructive forces such as racism and sexism, then we must analyze our homes and clssrooms through a wide-angled lens that allows us to see the presence of ageism and its manifestations. In a society that seems to be increasingly segregated by age, we have a tremendous responsibility to examine ways in which we endorse and teach values regarding the worth and dignity of each human being. We must begin to direct the experiences children have toward the development of positive attitudes toward all people including the elderly.

When young children digest behaviors, images, and perceptions, they will begin to form attitudes that have a powerful influence on their present and future behavior. It is only as young and old alike are able to understand and develop healthy attitudes toward their own aging process and cultivate the positive attitudes that allow them to develop intergenerational relationships that they will be able to realize their own full potential.