DISCRIMINATION OF OLDER PEOPLE: MANIFESTATIONS AND COUNTERMEASURES

Abstract

The aging of the population creates problems in the relationship between representatives of different age categories, on the one hand, and on the other, it forces a critical look at the formed stereotypical ideas about old age and attitudes towards the elderly.The article analyzes the understanding of age discrimination (ageism) and age stereotypes, as well as approaches to overcoming these phenomena in modern societies.It was found out that ageism is based on the concept of norm and deviation, expectations of behavior that seems to correspond to a certain age. Various negative stereotypes in relation to the elderly are considered. Connections between stereotypes and the social position of the elderly have been established. The economic, axiological and media reasons for the formation of discriminatory attitudes towards the elderly are analyzed. In Ukraine, the following phenomena are observed: low level of social and economic activity due to insufficient educational and professional mobility of the workforce, insufficient development of institutions and traditions of self-education and continuous education throughout life in combination with a conservative employment structure and inflexibility of the labor market; the existence in the public opinion of ideas about the aging of the population as an exclusively negative process that must be fought, as well as stereotypes about senior citizens, which form a negative attitude towards them and are the basis for their discrimination in various spheres of life.Finding from the survey conducted in Poltava demonstrayed that among specialists, the smallest social distance with the elderly is observed in the family and household domains, and the largest in the professional activities. It was determined that combating ageism and stereotypes about the оlder people can include measures at the macro level (society level), at the level of certain communities and organizations, as well as individual work with people. Ways to counteract ageism and develop the philosophy of active aging are proposed, in particular, through educational programmes and local initiatives at the community level, introduction of the intergenerational programmes and age-friendly communities.