Age discrimination rooted in British society

Friday, 13 January 2012

Single older_ladyBritain’s population is ageing rapidly. Record numbers of centenarians are predicted over the coming years and life expectancy, overall, is steadily increasing. These events will pose a number of challenges to Britain. One of these is age discrimination, which prevents the social inclusion of older people.

Negative attitudes and age stereotypes will leave older people feeling isolated and excluded from opportunities. There is also a cost to society as well.

Lost productivity of older workers and long term health costs of those excluded from economic activity to name but a few. Understanding attitudes to age is imperative if we are to develop appropriate strategies for an ageing population.

Research published by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that age-related discrimination and stereotyping remain rooted in British society. The findings are based on new analysis from the ONS Opinions Survey.

The report looks at the factors that are associated with age discrimination and prejudice and compares attitudes between two key groups, people in their 20s and people aged 70 and over.

Key findings were:

  • On average, respondents thought that ‘youth’ ends at 41 and that 'old age' begins at 59. However this varied by as much as twenty years in relation to the age of the respondent. The age at which youth stops and old age starts increased in relation to the age of the respondent.
     
  • Just over a third of respondents said they had been shown some age-related prejudice in the last year. This has risen slightly from a quarter in the previous survey. Experiences of age discrimination were more common for younger groups, with under 25s at least twice as likely to have experienced discrimination than other age groups.
     
  • Perceptions towards those aged over 70 are more positive than towards those in their 20s. People over 70 are viewed as more friendly, having higher moral standards and as being more competent than people in their 20s.
     
  • In terms of general status, people in their 40s were viewed as having the highest status. On average people aged over 70 were given a higher status than those in their 20s.
     
  • On average, both those in their 20s and those over 70 were viewed as ‘neutral’ in terms of their contribution to society.
     
  • Respondents were asked to say how acceptable or unacceptable they would find a suitably qualified 30-year-old or 70-year-old boss. While most respondents were accepting of either, three times as many (15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively) thought that having a 70-year-old boss would be 'unacceptable' compared with having a 30-year-old boss.
     
  • Nearly half of all respondents viewed people in their 20s and aged over 70 as being two groups which are part of the same community. However a third viewed these groups as being individuals rather than groups.
     
  • The majority of respondents had friends in either age group whom they could discuss personal issues with, however people were more likely to have someone under 30 to talk to (77 per cent) than over 70 (69 per cent).

    You can read the full report here 

    If you would like to send your views on age discrimination in British society please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

    • Similar Stories

    Groundbreaking Supreme Court Judgement on Age Discrimination - 25 April 2012

    Age UK comment on signposting for older drivers - 11 April 2012

    WRU scraps 55 age limit for rugby players - 02 April 2012

    Age discrimination in the provision of services and public functions - 24 February 2012

    Older women exploited by BBC - 02 February 2012

     
     

    Copyright © 2011-12 Mature Times. All rights reserved CSS Valid XHTML Valid Site built for Mature Times by The Third Stage