Explain the problems with stereotypes and give examples of stereotypes of the elderly to illustrate these problems
Ageism has been described as stereotyping where the young are considered more superior. In many cases, just like racism and sexism, ageism stereotyping has its own consequences. Over the years, ageism has developed where more value has been considered in being young rather than being old. This misconception is mostly with those who do not have frequent contact with old people as compared to those who do.
Stereotyping has many negative consequences. One of the views of elderly stereotyping is that they are viewed as being alike. In her article for the Oregon Government, Nancy R. Peppard, Ph. D notes that the case in real life is quite the opposite; older people are more different from their peers as compared to when they were younger. The fact that they passed through different experiences is the reason for this and their reactions to life are different. This kind of stereotyping is wrong because it denies the old a chance to rightfully express their views and be heard (Oregon, 2012).
Another negative consequence of stereotyping is that it is not only limited to the youth but also children. In a study carried out among children to show the level of stereotyping, they were shown the picture of an 80 year old man and told to describe what they felt if they were at that age. An overwhelming response showed that the replies could be coded as negative replies suggesting stereotyping. This is worrying since children who grow embracing stereotyping end up not considering the advice of the elderly and would feel that the elderly did not know what was right for them (Barber & Mather, ).
Stereotyping is considered as a generalization of false truths that mislead most people. In this case we can argue that they are based on a grain of truth but more often than not, that truth applies to very few people in a group. In the case of the elderly, there might be truth that they are less likely to learn new skills. This is not true because, people learn differently according to age so it is improper to generalize all. This stereotyping is well countered in the movie “The Internship” (2013) which shows two older people in their 40s joining Google as interns and being stereotyped as old who do not belong in a firm who had some of the best minds from some of the best colleges and universities in the US (Oregon, 2012), (Shawn, 2013) & (Blum, 2004).
In his work, William Wei noted that stereotyping distort our thinking capacity because of misinformation about certain aspects of a certain group. When we adopt information about such groups as the elderly that they possess traits as cranky, we are unable to think about unique cases of people without this trait and this thinking makes us generalize the old in the wrong way (Wei, 2013).
Explain how grandparent-grandchild relationships can benefit the grandchild and the grandparent
Grandparent-grandchild relationships are some of the most important relationships any family can have because grandparents are viewed as some of the most understanding people a child can have. In many cases, children feel more comfortable talking to their grandparents about issues that bother them or excite them as compared to their parents.
These bonds that the two parties forge are important because they provide the child with different perspectives of looking at life. Issues such as relationships are vital in the growth of the child and it becomes very important that the child understands it from other people other than parents. This learning environment determines how the child forms relationships with others in the future (Brhel, 2013).
Another benefit of these bonds for the child is that they do not feel the effect of being raised by a depressed mother. For the development of a child to be healthy, the child has to be exposed to positive environments by the parents as well as the society. When the child is raised by a depressed mother, chances are that the child will also be depressed and will have unhealthy relationships with other kids. It is therefore good for the child to be raised by grandparents who do not have the same characteristic (Brhel, 2013).
After a study spanning from 1985 to 2004 on the grandparent-grandchild bond, there were some interesting discoveries that were found. One was that grandparents who provided for their grandchildren experienced more psychological satisfaction as compared to those who received the same. However, those who both gave and received often had the lowest symptoms of depression showing that grandparents felt better when they were able to fulfill their parent duties on a second generation (Whiteman, 2013).
In the same study, it noted that grandparents who were considered independent had less symptoms of depression which meant that even though they had children and grandchildren, having the feeling of independednce and not feeling too dependent on their children and grandchildren promoted their chances of avoiding depression (Whiteman, 2013).
Works cited
Part 1
Barber, Sarah J. & Mather, Mara. “Stereotype Threats in Older Adults: When and Why Does it Occur and Who is Mostly Affected?” Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-0191. Print
Blum, Lawrence. “Stereotypes and Stereotyping: a Moral Analysis.” Philosophical Papers. 33.3 (2004): 251-289. Print.
Oregon Government. “Myths and Stereotypes of Aging.” Oregon Department of Human Services. (2012). Print.
Wei, William. “The Nature and Problem of Stereotyping.” (2013). Internet Resource. http://www.modelminority.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229:the-nature-and-problem-of-stereotypes-&catid=34:academia&Itemid=56
Levy, Shawn. “The Internship”. (2013). Video Source http://www.movie4k.to/The-Internship-watch-movie-3712225.html
Part 2
Brhel, Rita. “The Vital Importance of the Grandparent-Grandchild Bond”. The Attached Family. (2013). Internet source. http://theattachedfamily.com/?p=164
Whiteman, Honor. “Mental Health Benefits of Good Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships”. Medical News Today. (2013). Internet source. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264717.php
