Despite profound changes to the age structure of our society, ageism is still rife. This report looks at the role and impact of language and stereotypes in framing old age and ageing in the UK.
One in three people within the UK report experiencing age prejudice or age discrimination.
Ageism is a combination of how we think about age (stereotypes), how we feel about age (prejudice) and how we behave in relation to age (discrimination). Not only can it affect how we think and feel about others we perceive as ‘old’ or ‘young’, it can also affect how we feel about our own ageing process. These attitudes are often reflected in and created by the language we use about age and ageing.
This paper is based on a literature review conducted by Dr Hannah J Swift and Ben Steeden, School of Psychology, the University of Kent, summarising what existing research tells us about the role and impact of language and stereotypes in framing old age and ageing in the UK.
