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Stereotype embodiment
Posted by
Danae
,
15 September 2014
·
1,256 views
stereotype age discriminatio
Socially, we hardly notice age discrimination until it is used against us, and this can happen suddenly when a younger person says, “You’re amazing,” and means, “for your age,” or, “Gosh, you’re so agile!” .....or being described as feisty, sweet or still sharp as a knife. It is well meant, and yet makes us feel like we have been punched in the stomach. Such an experience immediately puts us at risk of stereotype embodiment. This theory states that we are brainwashed into attitudes about older people at a time when these beliefs are not self-relevant. Once internalised, these attitudes become part of a subconscious set of beliefs about older people. We therefore do not question them, and when we reach later life, we unwittingly embody them, since we have always held them to be true. Behaviours, perceptions and physiological responses are therefore triggered that fulfil the self-concept of being ‘old’. We can avoid this by taking an interest in those older than us, for example by asking how life has changed - social attitudes for instance - since they were 30. The general 'gut feeling' is to feel the same way about people older than us as we would like younger people to feel about us currently. Maybe we have some work to do if we want to stay ageless....
