Combating Ageism through Adult Education and Learning

Abstract

The demographic data and projections show that the world is ageing at a high pace and that this has transversal consequences to society. The available data on ageism show that it constitutes the most prevalent form of discrimination in Europe. Whilst this seems logical because ageism, potentially, affects everybody (unlike sexism or racism), public debates on the phenomenon are rare. The awareness of people of its importance is minimal, the resources and investigation devoted to understanding it are relatively small and the initiatives towards combating ageism are not enough. There is a mismatch between the dimension of the phenomenon and the attention that we have given it. Ageism has various negative consequences for the older adults themselves; for the institutions at large (but especially for the working world institutions) and for countries. In a fast-ageing world that will witness structural changes in age groups, ageism is a complex phenomenon that needs to be counteracted. So far, in Europe, combating ageism through law and public policy seems to have produced poor results. However, the literature shows that adult education and learning can provide very effective means to improve the mutual knowledge between generations, combat myths and prejudice and deconstruct age-based stereotypes.

Influence of Perceived Ageism on Older Adults: Focus on Attitudes toward Young People and Life Satisfaction

“…In addition, our findings suggest that young people’s ageism may reduce older adults’ life satisfaction. This result is consistent with numerous previous studies [ 5 , 10 , 13 , 17 , 18 ] reporting that ageism contributes to poor physical and mental health among older adults. Furthermore, a decline in older adults’ life satisfaction can reduce their social participation in many settings [ 22 ].…”

“…Considering this situation, we should focus on older adults’ perceived ageism in more general cases and examine its effect on their attitudes toward young people. Classification of and discrimination against individuals based on age is prevalent worldwide [ 5 ]. People are also likely to hold negative attitudes toward the target if they feel that the target directed negative attitudes toward them [ 16 ].…”

“…Many studies report that young people’s negative attitudes toward older adults adversely affect the latter’s physical and mental health [ 5 , 13 ]. In addition, across the lifespan, people generally internalize negative old-age stereotypes.…”

How mathematical dispositions of adult learners play a role in their STEM choices

“…Pastogianni and Koutsoukos (2018) explain that many adult learners possess psychological barriers, or unproductive dispositions, ranging from crystallized perspectives on the learning process to test‐ and performance anxiety. Adult learners can also internalize ageist societal stereotypes regarding their memory, fit in higher education, and technological skills (Chonody, 2015; Fragosa & Fonseca, 2022; Sabri et al., 2022; Simi & Matusitz, 2016). One area of learning dispositions that are particularly relevant to economic and societal well‐being, as well as impactful to adult learners, are mathematical dispositions.…”