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Aging, Attitudes Toward

In 2005, the number of people over age 65 was 13 percent of the population of the United States. According to the Census Bureau, this number will soar to 72 million by 2030 and constitute 20 percent of the population. The U.S. Census Bureau also reports that worldwide the 65-and-older population is projected to triple by 2050 from 516 million in 2009 to 1.53 billion in 2050, constituting approximately 16 percent of the world's population.

Germany, Italy, Japan, and Monaco have the greatest percent of 65 and over in their populations. In these countries, this age cohort makes up 20 percent of the population and by 2050 it is likely that Europe will be the oldest region in the world with 29 percent over 65. In the United States, there were 78 million “boomers” born between 1946 and 1964 and similar to any other stage that this bubble has experienced they are profoundly affecting attitudes and actions toward aging not only in the United States but particularly around the world in developed and developing nations as well. Boomers are on the run from aging, particularly trying to negate the blatant stereotypes that have haunted older men and women for more than 100 years in the United States. Because so many of the stereotypes still exist and because they are basically negative, the boomer cohort is conscientiously trying to deny that they are aging. Some of this denial works and some is a fantasy that camouflages the reality of getting older. Undeniably, though, there are changes in what mature people think of themselves, what they will need, and what services must be available.

Stereotypes

Grandmothers in one of South Africa's townships play football (soccer) to stay in shape. They say the sport makes them feel good and keeps them young at heart.

  • Elisa Shiburi, striker, 55 years old. Anna Homu, goalkeeper, 68 years old. Grace Shabangu, striker and team captain, 72 years old. These dedicated grannies from South Africa’s townships throw on their shorts and football boots twice a week as they head out for training.
  • I love playing football, especially as it helps me to stay fit and in good physical condition. My knee always used to hurt, and it stopped me from sleeping and getting around. Now it’s much better.
  • For the last three years, about 30 women have been playing at the local pitch in their township, some eighty kilometers from Polokwane. At first, men and youngsters in the area teased the group, but now they’ve earned themselves a certain level of respect.
  • We’re playing the same game as our grandchildren so that we can join in with them. We never dared before, but when they said we could play, they encouraged us and motivated us. They understand it’s good for us to keep fit.
  • As well as the health benefits, it’s also a chance for the grannies to relax and let go.
  • On the pitch we are able to forget about our everyday problems like poverty. When we are together, it means we are not on our own, worrying about other things.
  • And they are a real team of champions in the making, despite sometimes losing to their faster, younger rivals. But at any rate, it’s the taking part that counts.
  • We lost because we are old!
  • It was not even easy to tell them to wear shorts, you know – playing wearing shorts. I had to convince them, and now they enjoy what they do, especially when it comes to wearing shorts and exercising.
  • And while the referees come down hard on anyone not playing by the rules, it doesn’t mean the games are injury free. Despite the risk, the grannies are ready to give it their all until the final whistle blows.

The entrenchment of ageism, particularly directed at women, has a long history in the United States. Ageism, a term originally defined by Robert Butler in 1975 is discrimination against older people merely because they are old, similar to racism because of skin color and sexism because of gender. Ageism is so pervasive in U.S. society that we hardly notice anymore the ridiculous way older men and specifically older women are portrayed in advertisements, greeting cards, and frequently on television and in the movies. Ageism also exists in nations that have experienced industrial and technological advances. Even in Asian cultures that have typically held older people in high regard, dramatic changes are occurring that marginalize older adults. As families become increasingly nuclear rather than extended, they become less supportive of the emotional and physical needs of their elders. In some instances, it is not due to a lack of respect for older people but rather an economic and structural framework (such as massive rural to urban population shifts or smaller family sizes) that negates focusing on the older individual and promotes the proliferation of negative stereotypes.

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