The Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for older Canadians who have experienced age discrimination. As the media can provide a powerful channel for conveying stereotypes, the current study aimed to explore how Canadian Francophone older adults and the aging process were depicted by the media during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to examine if and how the media discourse contributed to ageist attitudes and behaviors. A content analysis of two French Canadian media op-eds and comment pieces (n = 85) published over the course of the first wave of the pandemic was conducted. Findings reveal that the aging process was mainly associated with words of decline, loss, and vulnerability. More so, older people were quasi-absent if not silent in the media discourse. Older adults were positioned as people to fight for and not as people to fight along with in the face of the pandemic. The findings from this study enhance the understanding of theories and concepts of the Theory of Social Representations and the Stereotype Content Model while outlining the importance of providing older people with a voice and a place in the shaping of public discourse around aging. Results also illustrate the transversality and influence of ageism in this linguistic minority context.
Les travailleurs œuvrant auprès d’organismes communautaires sont essentiels pour le fonctionnement de la société puisqu’ils octroient des services aux clientèles vulnérables. Cependant, la littérature indique que ces travailleurs vivent à la fois plus de détresse et de bien-être que leurs homologues des secteurs publics et privés. Grâce à des groupes de discussion réalisés auprès de travailleurs communautaires québécois (n = 20), cette étude identifie des demandes et des ressources au travail ayant des répercussions sur leur santé psychologique. Les résultats contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des facteurs influençant la santé psychologique des travailleurs et à une réflexion sur l’amélioration de leurs conditions de travail.
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