On the Meaning of Aging and Ageism: Why Culture Matters

Abstract

Like any form of discrimination, ageism does not exist in a void; it is expressed through cultural values and social beliefs. Some studies show that ageism intersects with other discriminatory attitudes, including those based on race or culture, leading to negative outcomes. However, the way older individuals, who are members of diverse cultural groups, experience and acknowledge age-based discrimination and react to ageist stereotypes may also be culturally dependent. The purpose of this paper is to further explore perceptions of aging and ageism among cultural groups of older adults in Canada. Findings from group discussions conducted among Chinese, Arab, and South Asian Indian older adults reveal that seniors living in Canada share relatively positive perceptions of aging and maintain their physical and psychological well-being, in part, because of their family and community engagement. Participants highlighted the respect that is offered to older adults in their culture and, in most cases, were grateful for their families and the policies supporting older adults in Canada. While participants were often not familiar with the term “ageism,” they had experienced a few instances of age discrimination, especially in the workplace. Results suggest that participants’ identities as older people may prevail over identities related to culture. As Canada’s society ages and becomes more diverse, these findings shed light on how culture influences the experience of aging and ageism.

“Old” Does Not Always Mean “Incompetent”: The Implication of Respect in the Perception of Older People Subtypes

“…On a societal level, the perception of respect varies, widely depending on the worldviews held in a society (e.g., Indigenous Collectivist Mindset) (Gambrell, 2017). Therefore, it is likely that respect for older adults is driven by cultural factors, as it varies from one culture to another (Bergeron & Lagacé, 2021). For example, some research suggests that Asian collectivist societies have great reverence for older people because of Confucianism (Ng, 2002; for a review see North & Fiske, 2015).…”

“…Older people are recognized for their engagement in family and activities considered to be useful to the community. Likewise, older people are also acknowledged for being independent while enjoying hobbies and taking part in entertainment and other creative or intellectual activities such as arts and literature (Bergeron & Lagacé, 2021;Caradec, 2012). It thus appears that some subtypes of older people refer to positive aging, in line with cultural standards and expectations (Greenberg, Schimel, & Martens, 2002;North & Fiske, 2013a).…”

The Subjective Experience of Ageism: The Perceived Ageism Questionnaire (PAQ)

“…However, even younger individuals (≤67 years old) sometimes reported relatively high levels of perceived negative and positive ageism. This does not only confirm that discrimination, stereotyping and prejudices against older adults on the grounds of their age can occur at a relatively young age (e.g., on the labour market; [ 89 ]), but also suggests that other characteristics such as gender, education, marital status, wealth, employment status [ 90 ], as well as culture, religion, or neighborhood (e.g., percentage of older residents) may also affect the level of ageism as experienced by older adults [ 91 , 92 ]. For instance, low- and middle-income countries are associated with a higher prevalence of ageism, and individualistic cultural values foster more negative attitudes towards older adults [ 93 ], which is most likely reflected in older adults’ perceptions of ageism as well.…”

The Intergenerational Representation of Old Age in the Transition to Frailty: An Empirical Analysis in Italy

“…Research conducted in Canada on how ageing is perceived among groups of older people from different cultures of origin-Chinese, Arab, and South Asian Indian-highlighted that older people share relatively positive perceptions of ageing, and preserve their physical and psychological well-being, in part through their engagement in their family and community. Participants emphasised the respect paid to older people in their culture and were mostly appreciative of their families and Canadian policies supporting older people (Bergeron & Lagacé, 2021). Therefore it could be inferred that networks of belonging play a crucial role in conveying positive messages about the meaning of getting old, and thus also play a protective role against the elderly's distress and isolation.…”