This congressional hearing addresses the issue of the waiver of rights under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). It reviews an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule permitting employees to waive their rights under the ADEA without federal supervision. Testimony includes statements, prepared statements, articles, publications,…

Although social gerontologists recognize the heterogeneous nature of elderly populations, they have relied on the use of aggregate data and chronological age rather than sociological variables in their research. The notion of stigma, as developed by Goffman (1963), applied to the elderly focuses on social relationships rather than individual…

Although there is a paucity of research-based information about the literacy of the aged, educators, researchers, and authors continue to propose certain practices and advocate certain positions, often while operating under unconscious or unexamined biases against the elderly. What research has been done indicates that literacy instruction that…

Intended to accompany a series of six 15-minute color videocassette programs, this teacher's guide contains suggestions for teaching high school students to achieve the series goals, which are to: (1) acquire accurate information about the elderly and the aging process by debunking myths that currently surround this biological, psychological, and…

Students from grades one through five participated in a study to investigate whether elementary school children stereotype older people and, more specifically, whether they stereotype older people by sex. Photographs of a young woman, a young man, an old woman, and an old man were shown to the subjects, who were then asked to select from each of…

Describes effort to dispel ageist attitudes in medical students in which medical students participated in weekly health seminars and provided health counseling for older adults living in community. Notes that exposing students to healthy elderly persons began to dispel stereotypical views engendered by previous exposure to only frail, acutely ill,…

Schools have a role to play in educating young people about aging and the elderly. Education also has an obligation to the aged. Educators have an obligation to themselves to tap a vast resource stockpile that lies waiting. (BRR)

Based on the view that intergenerational friendships between older adults and high school students enrich the lives of both groups, the Grandfriends Project is a program for bringing students and elderly members of the community together. High school students receive "basic training" for visiting a nursing home, are taught listening and…

This study concludes that older workers do not have especially high unemployment rates, but when they become unemployed, they are less likely to find a job and more likely to leave the labor force in discouragement. (Author/SSH)

Existing regulations, case law, and limited legislative history indicate that an institution can continue to employ faculty without tenure after age 65. However, once tenure is removed, the faculty member is entitled to all the protection of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. (MSE)

Many older workers want to continue working on a part-time basis after "retirement." The authors highlight the findings of a survey of 1,200 workers age 50 and over employed at a large high-technology company. (Author)

A comparative analysis of racism, sexism, and ageism is given, and an attempt to specify their similarities and differences is described. The "isms" are seen as different in terms of history, dynamics, and intensity; the substantive conditions of the inequality process are dramatically different and, as such, the solutions are different.…

Reviews literature to support the contention that misconceptions about the aging process have a detrimental effect on healthy aging. Seeks to demonstrate how stereotyping can affect the shape and nature of programs for elderly people. Argues that for long-lasting change to occur, service providers need to target these negative attitudes in…

This guide provides answers to the most-often asked questions about age discrimination. Section 1 discusses the purposes of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), including who is protected, what is unlawful, and what is permitted. Section 2 describes discriminatory actions prohibited by the ADEA. It covers discrimination in hiring, on…

A study examined the visual presentation of characters on five prime time network dramas, popular with the elderly, which star elderly actors. The title sequences of each show ("Murder, She Wrote,""The Golden Girls,""Matlock,""Jake and the Fatman," and "In the Heat of the Night") were analyzed. Results indicated seven significant interrelated…