I think ageism ad adultsm may be hard concepts to wrap one's head around. What does it really mean and who has privilege in this context? Some say that if you are between the ages of 18-65, that you have age privilege. But have you ever seen or felt the impacts - positive or negative - of ageism?
Think about it this way, those under 18 are thought to be minors, incapable of advocating for themselves in the legal context. We care for the very young and the very old in similar ways - feeding, clothing, and a lot of the time, making decisions for them. I think the young and old both face stereotypes that they cannot care for themselves and need assistance. While this may be true in some circumstances, the right to autonomy and self-determination is often not afforded to the young and old alike. Instead of assuming and doing, I think we should take an informed, respectful approach of asking and aiding only when requested.
When I worked with preschool aged children, we took a developmentally appropriate practice approach and offered challenging but manageable tasks for young children based on their developmental stages. People, whether they are 18 months old, 18 years old, or 80 years old all have a need for mastery and independence. It's the human condition to try and do and when we take that away fro someone, young or old we are stifling their humanity. I am sure you've overhead a young child saying "I can do it" or "Let me try". It is only natural that we want to participate and be a part of the process. Maybe this is a bad analogy for ageism, but I like the idea of working together to understand the needs of any presenting individual - young or old.
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You can donate for victims of the Austin floods in the lobby. They are accepting clothing, blankets, toiletries, and gift cards. Basically anything anyone would need when they've lost everything. You can donate to the Philippines as well through various accredited organizations. I chose Red Cross.
dissecting social justice in everything i live, breath, and see. intersectional feminist approach. constant learning process. continually open mind. peer education and accountability. acknowledging privilege. building community.
Thank you for talking about this. I love that idea of working together to understanding the needs of the client, regardless of the age of the client. I know that I personally did not like being told what to do as a child, so why should I inflict that on my clients? In the words of Dr. Seuss, people are people no matter how small (or old in this case).
ReplyDeleteI like that you point out the independence of an individual at each age. I work with the elderly population, and one of the first ways to dehumanize them is to assume that they cannot do certain things for themselves. Being elderly does not mean you have lost the ability to care for yourself.
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