Addressing Age Discrimination

Provide a brief description of the larger system of oppression/power that the Ground is attempting to address.

The larger system of oppression/power that the policy on discrimination against older people because of age is attempting to address is ageism, which encompasses a complex web of societal attitudes, stereotypes, and institutional practices that devalue and marginalize individuals based on their age. Ageism perpetuates the notion that older people are less capable, valuable, or deserving of respect and consideration compared to younger individuals (Ontario Human Rights Commission, n.d). This systemic issue affects various aspects of life, including employment, healthcare, housing, and social participation, leading to unequal treatment, limited opportunities, and barriers to full inclusion and participation in society. The policy aims to challenge ageism and promote the rights and dignity of older individuals within Canadian society.

State five possible impacts of having this right violated.

The violation of the right to be free from age discrimination can have several negative impacts on individuals and society (Ontario Human Rights Commission, n.d).

1. Limited access to job opportunities, healthcare services, and housing leads to economic and social exclusion.
2. Perpetuation of negative stereotypes and attitudes towards older people, resulting in social isolation and exclusion.
3. Negative impact on mental health and well-being due to experiences of discrimination and marginalization.
4. Reduced participation in community activities and events, limiting opportunities for social engagement and personal growth.
5. Undermining the principles of equality and human dignity within society.

Provide two situations where it would be hard to prove that this right has been violated.

Proving age discrimination as an underlying factor for a variety of different situations can indeed be difficult due to such complexity and numerous other factors, making the process challenging. Two instances whereby it may be difficult to prove that there has been a violation of the right not to be discriminated against on grounds of age are:

1. That is, as long as there is any other legitimate criterion in which the decision or action rests other than age, such as merit, qualifications, experience, record of performance and without evidence of a gross disparity, a discriminatory motive or effect (The Federal Register, n.d). For example, if a certain age candidate is not given a certain job posting, the employer can only prove his decision was due to job criteria and not age.
2. Subtler or less direct forms of ageism take an age-based form of discrimination, for example, through encoded language, stereotypes, and unconscious biases (The Federal Register, n.d). In such cases, providing clear proof of a discriminatory motive or effect might not be easy, especially where the decision-makers do not overtly state ageism. This may mean that a comprehensive investigation and analysis of the circumstances is required to prove that age is such a determinant of these situations, and therefore, it becomes quite challenging to make a clear indication of discrimination.

In either event, the difficulty of proving age discrimination speaks to the need for mountains of evidence and an understanding of the small elements that define each situation.

Provide two reasons why a person may not want to report a violation. Include a short case study to demonstrate your reasons.

Some of the reasons that would make someone not want to report the violation of their right to be free from age discrimination include. Two reasons are:

1. Fear of retaliation: A person may fear that if he reports age-related discrimination, it might cost him his employment, demotion from his current position in the company, or even harassment or bullying by colleagues or machinists (Porter, 2020). This can be particularly intense if the person is in a vulnerable situation, such as being close to the retirement age or with hardly any labour opportunities.
2. Lack of trust in the reporting process: Some people may feel that there is no fairness or efficiency associated with the reporting process, especially when they see other individuals who have reported discrimination and yet the outcome issued is not satisfactory (Lee & Rich, 2021). This trust deficit can be further augmented if the person has been a victim of discrimination sometime back, and he or she must have felt that his or her complaints were not properly responded to.

Case Study

Older employee “Peter” feels age discrimination in the workplace when they are not promoted or negative comments about them. However, they may be afraid to report such discrimination for fear of retaliation, like a demotion or being fired. They also may lack the trust that reporting will result in any meaningful results since others before them had reported the same, and nothing came out of the report. This creates a situation where the employee would rather decide to remain silent and bear with the discrimination, having adverse effects with respect to mental health and general well-being.

Find a policy or initiative in Ontario that attempts to address the issue that is outlined in the Code Grounds. For example, an anti-racism policy at a school board). Your responses should be focused on information that was discussed in class.

State the policy name and include a link.

One of the policies in Ontario aiming to try to deal with discrimination of age is the Action Plan for Seniors by the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat. The Action Plan is a measure of the government incentive to improve the quality of life for Ontario seniors and reflect upon the current challenges these people are facing, which very often might be dedicated to ageism. Some of the critical activities in the plan cover those adopting the promotion of healthy ageing, improving access to community services, and providing support for people caring for others. Additional information on this initiative can be accessed from the following website: Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors.

State whether or not you think that the policy, initiative, etc., adequately addresses larger systems of power. Why or why not?

While the main initiatives of the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat – the Action Plan for Seniors and the Age-Friendly Community Planning and Implementation program, are two significant steps in the fight against age discrimination and improving life quality for seniors in Ontario, they have a shortfall in the sense that they do not look at the bigger systems of powers within which the problems of ageism and discrimination exist. Such larger systems of power could include societal attitudes and beliefs toward ageing, an economic policy that is to the detriment of older workforce members, or healthcare systems that favourably bias younger patients. While these initiatives are steps in the right direction, more comprehensive and systematic interventions may be needed to address ageism effectively and holistically and promote even more robust inclusivity and well-being among older people.

Does the policy, initiative, etc., use an anti-oppressive and/or intersectional approach? Why or why not?

The action plan for seniors and the Age-Friendly Community Planning and Implementation program of the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat do not directly adopt an anti-oppressive or intersectional approach. However, this may be regarded as a drawback of the initiatives because although they might intend to fight against age discrimination and promote older people’s inclusion and well-being, feasible discussions are not enough discussing how ageism poses an intersectional aspect with other discrimination elements that dwell as racism, ableism, and sexism. An anti-oppressive and intersectional lens would demand a more comprehensive way of understanding the different ways in which their various forms of oppression intersect and how they affect seniors differently.

How is the policy, initiative, etc., relevant to social service work?

The Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat – Action Plan for Seniors and its Age-Friendly Community Planning and Implementation program is relevant to social service work in that it seeks to conclude age-based discrimination, advance well-being amongst seniors and the formulation of inclusive community for senior adults. These initiatives will make it possible for social service workers to advocate for the rights of seniors, provide support services that are responsive to their needs, and promote age-friendly environment guidelines relating to improvement in the seniors’ quality of life in Ontario.

References

Lee, M. K., & Rich, K. (2021, May). Who is included in human perceptions of AI?: Trust and perceived fairness around healthcare AI and cultural mistrust. In Proceedings of the 2021 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1–14).

Ontario Human Rights Commission. Ontario Human Rights Commission |. (n.d.-a). https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en

Porter, N. B. (2020). Relationships and Retaliation in the# MeToo Era. Fla. L. Rev., 72, 797.

The Federal Register. Federal Register : Request Access. (n.d.). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/02/18/2010-3126/definition-of-reasonable-factors-other-than-age-under-the-age-discrimination-in-employment-act