“ageism: A term first employed by Dr. R.N. Butler, director of the American Institute for Aging in 1968. It refers to the negative stereotype of elderly individuals, which prejudicially describes them as senile, rigid in their attitudes and psychologically and socially dependent. Ageism has become important as a political issue with the greying of populations in Western societies. ‘New ageism’ refers to intergenerational conflicts where the elderly are condemned for being ‘takers’ and not ‘givers.’”
Excerpted from: Abercrombie, Nicholas, Stephen Hill, and Bryan S. Turner. Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Penguin, 2006.
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