In the Cruikshank post, appearance stood out, and how people are so intrigued by youth, which leads to discrimination/exclusion of older adults. The unfairness that comes with being seen as “older looking”. This is essential for social workers, as we have to learn to advocate for fair treatment. Another major issue highlighted was the need to prevent ageism and to implement interventions. Yes, Cruikshank discusses stereotypes of aging and cites classic literature to showcase their persistence, while Dovey uses it to map the emotional and narrative aspects of aging. Viewing it through Dovey’s literacy lenses, we can get a sense of how it reproduces and shapes cultural attitudes towards aging. Cruikshank talks about the aged body as a spectacle and its social effects. Combined, they show that ageism isn’t just about policy and specific behaviors, but also about how people talk about it. Aronson has always advocated for her father’s needs, which can collide with his internalized beliefs about his capacity. She also states that older adults come to expect such treatment or even blame themselves just because of their age, which shows internalized ageism. Dovey discusses cultural stories and imaginative interiority further. Combined, they discuss internal and external barriers that older adults face, as well as those faced by workers who work with older adults for a living. Throughout life, I have heard many phrases, especially since im a server at a restaurant where most of our customers are older people. Many are retired, and all of them have a story to tell and a phrase to go with it. Arson uses “the language of death,” meaning death, and it’s a strategy many use to consolidate power over others. Dovey uses different metaphors when talking about older people. Many of these, which I have heard before, and phrases such as “it comes with old age,” “the olden days,” “wait till you get to my age,” “im too old to do those things,” “one foot in the grave,” and so many others. Taking this class has been a big eye-opener for me. It has shown me the difference between old and elderly people. It has shown me the barriers older adults face and how few people advocate for them. Something difficult was the systemic invisibility older adults face. Having different interventions and systems to help out. Education, as well as teaching others the importance of advocating for older adults and the correct way to do so, such as identifying existing policies and creating better ones.
Appearance is something I mentioned a lot in my writing as well. It is so shocking how there is some many products, procedures, and even research that is trying to eliminate aging. Aging is a natural process of life just like being born, purity and death. I cannot understand the obsession with wanting to be or look younger to point where individual would like to delete getting older. Getting old means there is something to past on to the next generation. Watching my children get older is everything to me I want to be able tell them things I grew up learning and how things have changed, past down recipes and one day witness them tell their children. Aging is not about being unappreciated, forgotten, or less than anyone. It is able being able to look back on life that has been accomplished and appreciate how far one has come because everyone does not make it getting old.
Lizeth,
After I managed to slow down my reading and organize it in my own mind, I realized that you have all the ideas here, but it wasn’t easy to follow them. When you write in a single, run on paragraph, it’s hard for your read (like me) to follow when one idea begins and another ends.
In that regard I have some thoughts that might be helpful to you going forward.
First, use the return key on your keyboard. When you create some white space between your ideas, it offers the signal that one thought is ending and another beginning. You could even use the actual questions as section headers. White space gives your reader a path.
Second, I suspect that white space would also give you a chance to pause. I don’t know if you write these posts in another program and them copy them into the blog. But even if you do and that process takes out the line spacing, you should still put it bac in. It matters and it helps you make your point. And if you pause, I think you will find that you have even more thoughts and ideas about the topic you are discussing. You have good ideas and reactions, but you cut them short before you have fully expressed them.
Finally, there is a really good writing program at GSU for students. You might want to check it out so you can take your writing to another level. Just some end of the semester advice.
In trying to post this comment, I kept getting an error message and realized that you never published this post. I don’t know if that was because you hadn’t completed it and were planning on making changes, or if you simply forgot to publish it. I went ahead and published your post so I could make these comments. Luckily, the second time I tried I copied my comments to WORD so I didn’t have to write them yet a third time. And yes, the line breaks were different when I copied it over. So, just take a minute and stick them back in. Just some thoughts.
Dr P