Ageism

Attitude of contempt, discrimination and/or exclusion towards a person or group on the basis of their age. This applies especially to older people, who in some societies may be marginalized when they are no longer productive for the group. It can also apply to children and young people who are belittled, excluded from social participation or not allowed to take part in decisions that affect them. Ageism is also expressed differently in terms of gender; in many societies, older men are respected more than older women. An example of this in our society is the different job opportunities for men and women in film and television as they grow older or start to show grey hair and other signs of ageing.