“Won’t Someone Please Think of the Old, White Men?”
Although most people are familiar with “isms” like sexism and racism, an “ism” that may be less familiar to some has been popping up in response to recent coverage of the presidential election cycle. That “ism” is ageism.
Critiquing elected officials because of their advanced age is certainly not unusual in the US- the median age of members of Congress is around fifty eight, which is a full twenty years older than the median age of average, everyday people in this country. That said, fifty eight is significantly younger than the ages (78 and 81) of the current candidates for president; two candidates who are, in effect, interviewing for a job (albeit one of the most important jobs in the US, if not the world) and voters should feel free to discuss their concerns about each candidates’ strengths and weakness. That said, how do we talk about age without veering into ageism? Is it ageist to even mention a person’s age? And, is there more than meets the eye when it comes to the subject of ageism? Let’s discuss:
Age Discrimination in US Employment Law Aging people are a protected class in the US. Federal law protects against ageism, or age discrimination, that impacts people aged forty five and older in employment and any adverse job actions taken against someone over forty five is presumptively discriminatory under federal law. Unlike federal anti-discrimination regulations pertaining to other protected classes such as race, color, religion, familial status, gender, and disability, regulations that protect people who can be subject to age discrimination have specific provisions that cannot be contracted away. For instance, if a severance package is offered to an employee over the age of forty five, their acceptance of such a package cannot be seen as a waiver of potential age-based discrimination claims they may choose to file.
Regulations for protected classes other than age are far less ironclad. Individuals who experience a hostile work environment as a result of their race, gender, disability or other protected status often have to prove they are a member of a protected class and, in stark contrast with those claiming age discrimination, should anticipate investing a significant amount of time- and money- to engage in the tedious process of seeking validation regarding to their experience with limited hope of attaining a positive outcome. Why? Because unlike other communities that are identified as being protected classes at the federal level, the aging community is inclusive of straight white nondisabled Christian men, the demographic for whom the framework of the US has been geared to benefit since its inception.
The Hidden Hierarchy of Marginalization in the US
The experience of marginalization and the pursuit of rights in the United States is easily politicized because the process entails making space for populations that were not taken into consideration when the framework for the US was designed. As a result, the most privileged members of marginalized communities often receive the most protection and benefits when rights are granted.
All "Isms" Matter Although conversations about ageism have made their way into the mainstream thanks to the current presidential election cycle, it’s important to keep in mind that more nuanced discussion about aging as a marginalizing experience is needed, conversations that center aging people who, for instance, are unable to retire because of economic limitations, not wealthy presidential candidates, affords the context needed to demonstrate how aging can marginalize a person. It’s necessary to acknowledge that Biden and Trump, in spite of their advanced respective ages, both experience a level of privilege that eclipses that of the vast majority of aging jobseekers who are also currently seeking employment. Neither Biden or Trump will suffer the instability that an aging person who is financially unable to retire, yet is passed over for an employment opportunity after employment opportunity (perhaps because of their age) experiences as the result of not being "hired" this November.
Ageism is real. That said, there is historical precedent regarding derailing focus on one “ism”- racism and anti-Blackness, in particular- by using another “ism” to engage in whataboutism, many of which did not gain significant attention until discussions about race began to make headway in the US. A simple way to avoid this would be for the individual who is choosing to advocate for aging people to focus their efforts on aging people who are also Black, for instance.
The Privilege to Experience Ageism
If one examines the mortality rates of the various demographics that inhabit the US, it becomes apparent that it takes a significant amount of privilege to attain the status of “aging person” in this country. In fact, some individuals are so impacted by marginalization- Black people with disabilities, for instance- that becoming a member of he aging community is, for them, an exception, not a rule. Efforts to address one “ism”, like ageism, for instance, should, therefore, enhance, not derail, necessary conversations about another “ism”, like racism, if for no other reason than the fact that evidence shows that a key barrier to Black people experiencing ageism (ie living long enough to even be subjected to ageism in the first place) is, ultimately, racism itself, which is a significant precursor to premature mortality for Black people in the US.
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