What stood out to me the most about ageism in Cruikshank and Aronson’s readings was the impact that the medical system has on older adults. Specifically, hearing about patients with dementia not having their treatment options listened to was a saddening but honest...

Introduction Ageism is a subtly woven into our everyday language, expectations, and professional practices. Despite this normalization, the consequences are easy to overlook, especially for older adults who rely on outside sources for assistance. The readings...

In thinking about the readings, what made the greatest impact on me was the systemic undertreatment and misdiagnosis of older adults in healthcare settings due to biases and the lack of proper medical education on geriatrics. This had an impact on me because it...

In examining ageism, both Cruikshank in “Ageism” and Aronson in “Adult” highlight its nature and powerful effects on older adults. Cruikshank discusses internalized ageism, where stereotypes lead older individuals to adopt these negative beliefs. Her insights of this...

  1.Reading these chapters, the discussion of death being the completion of life impacted me. This stood out to me because I agree that our medical system is not set up and prepared for the end stage of life. For instance, in Aronson, the author talks about...

Reading Cruikshank and Aronson side by side, and then exploring Ceridwen Dovey’s literary perspective, made me realize that ageism shows up not only in language, stories, and institutions but also inside people’s minds. Cruikshank’s treatment of ageism as a social...

After reading Cruikshank's examples of ageism, I realized that the Fairy Tale example shocked me the most. After reading about how older women are normally painted in those stories, I thought back to all of the fairy tales or Disney movies I watched as a child. There...

1. The example or statement of ageism that impacted me the most was the discussion of how older women are stereotyped more harshly than men. In all our time discussing older adults, we have never talked about the differences between genders and the specific impacts...

1. In reading both chapters, Cruikshank’s discussion of ageism had the greatest impact on me. This is because the author uses so many real-life examples that are deeply embedded in our everyday society, so much so that we often fail to notice their harmful effects....

My greatest impact came from the reading Cruikshank’s agism chapter. This reading helped me grasp the way others viewed agism. Being discriminated against based on age showed how ageism is compared to sexism and racism based on individuals’ appearance. I never...

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...

Ageism can impact older adults in various aspects of their lives, even in seemingly minor situations. Throughout my readings, I discovered that ageism affects simple tasks, such as trying to hail a cab. One story that particularly resonated with me was about Eva in...

After reading Cruikshank Aronson and Dovey, I started to see how ageism shows up in so many different ways. It’s not just people making rude comments about getting older it’s in the language we use, the stories we tell, and even the way older adults start to see...

1. I thought Cruikshank's talk about internalized ageism was the most interesting one. This is when older people believe and even spread ideas that make them feel less important. This had the greatest impact on me because it made me think about how my grandma is...

Ageism and Beauty Standards Cruikshank’s (2013) examination of plastic surgery stood out to me because I think the industry is probably booming now—and among even younger demographics. Recently, I had one of my wisdom teeth removed. During my consultation at the oral...

The readings from Aronson, Cruikshank, and Dovey pushed me to consider how society treats older adults and how we talk, think, and even feel about aging, often in ways we don't recognize as ageist. One example from Aronson that deeply impacted me was how physicians...

After reading Chapter 8 of Learning to Be Old by Cruikshank (2013) and Chapter 8 of Elderhood by Aronson (2019), I started to think about how often ageism shows up in everyday life and in the systems we work in. Both authors approach the issue differently but share...

Ceridwen Dovey closes her article "What Old Age is Really Like" with a quote from the late Adrienne Rich (reflected in the title of this blog post) that I feel perfectly encapsulates the complexity of aging and the deeply rooted, negative impact of ageism on all...

Most impactful example (Cruikshank & Aronson): Cruikshank’s breakdown of how appearance, stereotypes, and “old” as a social category shape how we treat elders hit me hard because I see it often. The examples are clear, the taxi cab refused to pick Eva up, and even...

The example of ageism that impacted me the most was in Aronson’s Chapter 8 of Elderhood, when she described visiting Yolanda at home. Yolanda was sitting in used diapers and clearly not getting the care she needed, even though she depended on others completely. What...

Reading Cruikshank and Aronson really opened my eyes to the different ways ageism manifests in our society. One discussion that struck me was about how older adults are often portrayed in the media, usually as frail or dependent. The example I chose is how they...

Cruikshank's explanation of how our culture views being "old" as a negative category, not just a stage of life, and a stigma that devalues people was the paragraph that most resonated with me. I had previously assumed that everyday interactions were neutral, but this...

I felt very sad reading Eva’s story.  I keep thinking, what if Aronson had not seen her or been there? How would she have gotten home and made her way back to her apartment and up the stairs?  She is so vulnerable and yet the cab still leaves her, not wanting to deal...

The story about Eva made the greatest impact on me because of the blatant discrimination she was receiving due to her age, which is something she can’t control. I have heard stories of rideshare drivers that have refused riders due toothier weight their concern that...