Not that old person: Older people’s responses to ageism revealed through digital storytelling

Abstract

One of the issues limiting prevention of elder abuse in Australia is lack of a strong evidence base to target social drivers of abuse, particularly ageism. This evidence gap is exacerbated by social discourses that perpetuate negative representations of older age as a time of vulnerability and physical decline, often in opposition to people’s actual experience of ageing. This article presents findings of the ‘OPERA Project’, which used co-designed digital storytelling to explore how ageing and ageism are perceived by older people. The project findings indicated that preventing elder abuse requires discursive intervention to combat negative social discourses representing older people, and to frame social acceptance of the inherent complexity of experiences of ageing. Using a social constructionist approach, this article puts forward a ‘middle path’ through traditional theories of ageing and associated ‘positive ageing’ discourses, which often problematise ageing itself.

Challenges for the operation of councils for the rights of older people and their social consequences

“…A moral filter refractory to old age itself is encouraged based on the exaltation of the signs of youth, characterized by expressive physical valences, readiness to work and productivity. On the contrary, the older one appears, the less social capital one has [5][6][7][8] . Still in the flourishing of the 21st century, while society enhances longevity, it denies older people their value and social importance 9 .…”

Desafios para o funcionamento dos conselhos dos direitos da pessoa idosa e seus reflexos sociais

“…Encoraja-se um filtro moral refratário à própria velhice a partir do enaltecimento dos signos da juventude, caracterizados por valências físicas expressivas, por presteza ao trabalho e por produtividade. Do contrário, quanto mais envelhecido se aparenta, menos capital social se possui [5][6][7][8] . Ainda no florescer do século XXI, ao mesmo tempo em que a sociedade potencializa a longevidade, ela nega aos velhos o seu valor e sua importância social 9 .…”