Is Age Discrimination Real?

We don't have to look very hard to see that some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in our society qualify as being "old" (age 65+). Neither do we have to look hard to see older people receiving special privileges such as publicly-subsidized healthcare (Medicare), Senior Citizen Shopping discounts, or biblical admonitions to "honor thy mother and father." So, do older people really have a legitimate complaint, or is it just human nature for all people to feel that their life is harder than that of others? Are cries of foul play due to age discrimination real; or just one more misplaced effort to deny limitations brought on by natural senescence? What do you think?

I pose this question to college students in my introduction to aging course. Below is a well-reasoned paper by one of my students, Jasmine Locke. It is used here with her explicit permission.

Is Elder Discrimination Real

.docx

Download DOCX • 20KB