Ageism effects all of us – whether we are young, old, or somewhere in between. Ageism is a broad issue throughout the UK that exists in many different areas in society. In this webinar we will discuss this issue and the different areas of ageism that exist within our society including: Language – Tackling everyday ageist language used to talk about older and younger people. Cities – Making our cities more accessible and age-friendly. Services – Promote independence by making financial and technology services easier, safer and fairer to use.

1. Centre for Ageing Better
ageing-better.org.uk
An old age problem?
Luke Price
Evidence Manager

2. Centre for Ageing Better
Our population
A girl born today has a one in
five chance of living to 100
We’re living longer, and the
age profile of our society is
changing rapidly
Projected population change from 2018 to 2038
Source: Office for National Statistics (2019), Table A2-1, Principal projection - UK
population in age groups
-2%
2% 2%
0%
32%
60%
0-19 20-34 35-49 50-64 65-79 80+

3. Centre for Ageing Better

4. Centre for Ageing Better
What is ageism?
Robert Butler’s definition from
1969: bias from one age group
towards another
A combination of how we think about
age (stereotypes), how we feel about
age (prejudice) and how we behave
in relation to age (discrimination)
Ageism is bad for individuals and bad
for society

5. Centre for Ageing Better
Why ageism?
Ageism is bad for individuals and bad
for society
The narrative around ageing and
older age is damaging
These damaging messages are
everywhere, and may contribute to
institutional ageism

6. Centre for Ageing Better
How can we shift the conversation?
– We launched a new research project to examine
how ageing and demographic change are talked
about in society
– We looked at existing research as well as
language being used by different sectors
– We wanted to capture real life examples via focus
groups and surveys
– Our aim is that the results of this research will
help to guide different sectors and organisations
whose work relates to ageing
Literature review
Discourse
analysis
Focus groups and
surveys

7. Centre for Ageing Better
What does the
already
existing
research say?

8. Centre for Ageing Better
– Summary based on a literature review of
existing research
– Impact of language and stereotypes in framing
older age and ageing in the UK
– Stereotypes can sometimes be positive but are
mostly negative as they reinforce a perception
of how an older person must be viewed
– The UK’s attitudes to ageing are
overwhelmingly negative
Age-related stereotypes

9. Centre for Ageing Better
– Descriptive stereotypes represent
assumptions about what we think
certain groups and individuals are like.
– Prescriptive stereotypes are
assumptions about how we think certain
groups of people should or shouldn’t act
– Age combines with other identities
resulting in a ‘double jeopardy’
– Kernel of truth: health issues become
more prevalent with age or that
functional abilities change over time.
Findings

10. Centre for Ageing Better
What
narratives
exist in
society?

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Common ways of talking
about ageing and older age

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How government and politicians
speak about ageing and older age
Pressures on health and social care
– Focuses on specific issues and services, often in ‘crisis’
– e.g. bed capacity, annual winter ‘crisis’ etc.
Fairness between generations
– This feeds into wider perception of ageing population
as a ‘burden’
– Framed as a fight for resources between younger and
older generations
– “Generation” gets confused with “wealth” and the true
picture of inequality within and between generations is
hidden

13. Centre for Ageing Better
Top ten words and
phrases from
government and
politicians

14. Centre for Ageing Better
How the media talks about ageing
and older age
– Represented as a time of inevitable decline towards
frailty and ultimately death
– Older people framed as inherently vulnerable –
particularly in the context of scams
– Tabloids tend to tell stories about individuals experience
a crisis, whereas broadsheets tend to tell stories about
services and society in crisis
– Social media often caricatures older people, particularly
in terms of gender. However, also offers a chance to
speak differently about age.

15. Centre for Ageing Better

16. Centre for Ageing Better
How adverts talk about ageing and
older age
– Also caricatures older age – argued by stakeholders to
be necessary due to how products are sold
– Seemingly positive language more common, but
themes of death and decline still apparent – e.g. ‘anti-
ageing’ products
– Adverts tend to portray older people as all the same:
powerless to affect their own lives and often not being
very active

17. Centre for Ageing Better

18. Centre for Ageing Better
How the charity sector talks about
ageing
– Tends to focus on individual needs
– Far more diverse range of topics than other areas.
Much more likely to use caring, helpful and supportive
language
– Takes a more nuanced approach and more likely to
focus on social and emotional needs
– Loneliness is a fairly common topic and is often framed
in such a way that draws on stereotypes about later life

19. Centre for Ageing Better
Resources
you can use

20. Centre for Ageing Better
Resources you can use
Age positive image library
– A free to use collection of positive and
realistic images of older people from a
wide range of different backgrounds.
– They cover a wide range of themes
including health, community activity and
employment
– You can find out more at the following link:
https://www.ageing-
better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-
library-launched
Age positive icons
ꟷ A competition to find the best ideas for
symbols and icons to represent older
people
ꟷ Aiming to replace the very common picture
of two hunched over people with walking
sticks
ꟷ There's a range of icons that can be
downloaded on our website:
https://www.ageing-
better.org.uk/news/dancing-couple-design-
wins-age-positive-icon-competition

21. Centre for Ageing Better
Thank you
Luke.Price@ageing-better.org.uk