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Publication Date: January 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.101.13844. McConatha, J. T., Kumar, V. K., Magnarelli, J., & Hanna, G. (2023). The Gendered Face of Ageism in the Workplace. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, Vol - 10(1). 528-536.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Gendered Face of Ageism in the Workplace
Jasmin Tahmaseb McConatha
Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Kumar, V. K.
Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Jaqueline Magnarelli
Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Georgina Hanna
Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT
This qualitative study explores perceived age discrimination in the workplace.
Increasing age diversity in the workplace has led to an associated increase in
ageism. While a large percentage of older workers report being subjected to
discriminatory treatment in the workplace, ageism also appears to be gendered.
Older female workers are being victimized at a greater rate than their male
counterparts. The intersection of age, gender, and other forms of discrimination
results in increased stress, threatens the well-being of workers of all ages, and
creates a toxic workplace climate. Analysis of 244 participants’ responses to open- ended items indicated that ageism is prevalent in the workplace and threatens
work and life satisfaction. In this study, both male and female participants were
negatively affected by ageism in the workplace, although the female participants
reported experiencing workplace discrimination more frequently. Qualitative
analysis identified several important themes relating to ageism; these included
threats to feelings of competence; self-doubt and helplessness; being subjected to
momism; feeling isolated and lonely; and gradual disengagement from the
workplace. The results are discussed in relation to workplace inclusivity and
individual, organizational, and societal consequences of age discrimination.
Keywords: ageism, ageism, workplace discrimination, gendered discrimination, life
satisfaction, older adults, loneliness, and isolation.
THE GENDERED FACE OF AGEISM IN THE WORKPLACE
Ageism is a widespread global reality. Described as the third great ‘ism’ after racism and sexism,
it involves stereotyping and/or discriminating against a person or group based on age (WHO,
2021; Palmore, 2001). While not widely acknowledged, it is the most universal of the isms; it
can be experienced by anyone who lives long enough. As people live longer, healthier lives, they
also stay in the workforce longer (Choi-Allum, 2022). The ADEA (Age Discrimination in
Employment Act) was passed in 1967 to protect older workers. However, legal protections have
not been sufficient to combat age discrimination in the workplace, particularly as the number
of older workers has increased. In 2020, over one-third of the workforce was over 50, and 26
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McConatha, J. T., Kumar, V. K., Magnarelli, J., & Hanna, G. (2023). The Gendered Face of Ageism in the Workplace. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, Vol - 10(1). 528-536.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.101.13844
% were over 65 (Urwin, 2022). Recent studies indicate that 62 % of workers over 50 have faced
some form of workplace discrimination (Choi-Allum, 2022).
An increasingly diverse workforce has also been a factor in an increase in discrimination in the
workplace and elsewhere (AARP, 2018). The intersection of age, gender, and other forms of
discrimination results in increased stress and threats to the well-being of workers. It also
creates a toxic workplace climate. Discrimination against older workers, like other forms of
discrimination, has widespread negative personal and social consequences (Jackson, 2013).
The contemporary workplace is saturated with youth-focused buzz-word associations like
“innovative,” “energetic,” and “flexible.” In contrast, older workers are often described in
stereotypical ways with labels such as “stubborn,” “change resistant,” “unhealthy,” and “costly.”
Ageist stereotypes are deeply rooted in cultural values and norms that denigrate aging and
foster a belief that older workers are less competent, less trainable, and less able to cope with
technological change than younger workers (Meshi et al., 2020). Exploring the impact of age
discrimination in the workplace and its consequences on life satisfaction and job engagement
(cognitive, physical, and emotional engagement), one study indicated that ageism resulted in a
less favorable intergenerational workplace climate (McConatha et al., 2022). The researchers
found that perceived workplace discrimination was significantly related to lower life
satisfaction.
By 2030, twenty percent of all adults will be over 65 (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2021). A large percentage of these elders will remain in the workplace until well into
their seventies (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021; Gurchiek, 2021). As older workers stay in the
workplace longer, they also increasingly report mistreatments including not having
contributions acknowledged, being left out of decision-making, training, and planning, and
being treated in a disrespectful and denigrating manner (Blackstone, 2013; AARP, 2018). In one
AARP survey of 3,900 employees, 12% felt they were not promoted because of their age (AARP,
2018). Restructuring and downsizing have also increased fears relating to job security resulting
in competitive tensions between younger and older workers (Roscigno, 2010).
Age discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere has negative consequences for the
individual, the workplace, and society. Depression, anxiety, isolation, loneliness, and a decline
in overall well-being have been reported by those victimized (Shippee et al., 2019). Toxic work
environments can push people to question their ability to complete work tasks, their sense of
mastery, their sense of self, and their overall life satisfaction (Tahmaseb McConatha et al.,
2022). As a result, older workers may struggle with increased anxiety and stress and decreased
self-worth (Kang & Kim, 2022). Age discrimination can make it more difficult to view the aging
experience positively, increasing aging anxiety, loneliness, and depression (Bergman & Segel- Karpas, 2021). All too often, older workers struggle silently, personalizing mistreatment (Choi- Allum, 2022; Brownell & Kelly, 2013). According to AARP surveys, very few of those who
experienced age discrimination filed an official complaint, indicating that the problem is
significantly more widespread than documented (Perron, 2018).
Gendered Face of Ageism
Age discrimination is not equal; ageism tends to be gendered. Women’s participation in the
workforce has increased steadily since the 1970s, with more women in the workforce
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(Krivkovich et al., 2022). At the same time, women continue to struggle with pay inequality and
discrimination in the workplace. Studies exploring the well-being of working women have
indicated that women are more likely to be victimized by all forms of discrimination, including
ageism (Allen et al., 2022). In one study of 6,642 women over 18, 63% of those over 50 stated
that they were discriminated against (Childs & Houghton, 2022). Women, particularly women
of color, are further subjected to the intersecting prejudices of age, ethnicity, and gender bias
(Barrington, 2015; Childs & Houghton, 2022). For example, 70 % of African American women
over 50 reported workplace discrimination (Crouch, 2022).
Older women face ageism in the workplace, they also struggle to find work and for equal pay.
Ageism persistently impedes women's chances of full-time work (AARP, 2021). In a survey
conducted in 2021, over half of the women seeking employment, 31% of these, believed that
employers did not hire them based on their age. One in three women aged 50 and up stated
concerns over financial security compared to one in four men (Crouch, 2022). Women often
work as registered nurses, elementary and middle school teachers, secretaries, and
administrative assistants. At the same time, in these positions, there are pay differences; for
example, 2,186,697 women and 336,793 men work as full-time registered nurses; however,
women make less yearly (68,509) compared to men (73,603) (U.S. Department of Labor, 2019).
Age discrimination is a significant source of stress for both younger and older working adults,
particularly women (Shippee et al., 2019). For younger women, the stress is linked to the need
to prove themselves as competent employees. For older working women, the stress devolves
from the need to combat a lack of respect from other employers and other employees. Working
women report fighting against ageist assumptions about competence and skills, particularly
computer skills, a conflict that leads to feelings of isolation and marginalization (Childs &
Houghton, 2022). Youth-based appearance standards are also a source of stress for older
female workers (Cecil, 2022).
Post-Pandemic Ageism in the Workplace
The pandemic resulted in significant changes to the workplace. It increased unemployment
rates and required remote work and corporate restructuring (Coco, 2022). Older adult workers
have faced even more significant challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic. From the image of
older vulnerable workers susceptible to serious infection to perceptions that older workers are
less technologically competent, older workers are increasingly struggling to combat negative
stereotypes. Such biased images also influence employers’ selection of older adults as new
employees (Morrow-Howell et al., 2020). As older workers, who may have left the workplace
or been laid off, struggle to return to the workforce. Many of them are facing new challenges.
Although older workers have been shown to be reliable and dependable, the social framing of
older workers as frail, vulnerable, and undependable has resulted in concerns about hiring
older adults (Tahmaseb McConatha & Schnell, 2020). Some employers have taken advantage of
biased framing and have hired older adults only if they are willing to accept lower pay (Coco,
2022). During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, social media, newspapers, and the press
fictitiously labeled older adults as helpless, not of use, and weak, which, in part, bolstered this
trend in hiring discrimination (Ayalon et al., 2020; Schnell et al., 2021).
Ageism is at an all-time high. As a result, there is a need to explore the ageist experiences of
workers, particularly older female workers. The analysis of older workers’ perceptions of their
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McConatha, J. T., Kumar, V. K., Magnarelli, J., & Hanna, G. (2023). The Gendered Face of Ageism in the Workplace. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, Vol - 10(1). 528-536.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.101.13844
working conditions can help raise awareness of ageism and other forms of discrimination. Such
awareness can also lead to programs and services that might help to combat ageist practices.
This study aims to assess perceived age discrimination in the workplace and explore the
psychological and social consequences of age discrimination. More specifically, this study
explores perceptions of discrimination, stress, and workplace satisfaction among faculty and
staff in an academic setting.
METHODOLOGY
Participants and Procedures
An email with a survey link was sent to 1,015 faculty, and 805 staff members at a mid-sized
University in the U.S. Participation was voluntary, and participants were told their responses
would be anonymously recorded. Seventeen percent of faculty and 12% of staff members
responded to the survey. Of 244 respondents, 128 identified as female (56 identified
themselves as men, and 60 did not specify). Of those who identified themselves as women, 51%
(n = 65) stated that they experienced some form of age discrimination, most of whom (n = 41)
were age 50 or older (see McConatha, et. al. 2022). Nine open-ended items on the survey probed
overall satisfaction with work experiences, ageist experiences at work, consequences of ageist
treatment in the workplace, perceptions of stress related to ageism, life satisfaction, work
satisfaction, psychological effects of work experiences, career and personal goals, and plans.
The final participant pool consisted of 168 total participants, with instructional faculty making
up the majority (n=111), staff (n=57), and administrators (n=8). Participants ranged in age
from 20 to 80. Those over the age of 50 made up the highest age group (n=58), followed by 40
to 49 years old (n=21) and 30 to 29 (n=21). There were 116 females and 51 males, most
identified as White Caucasian-Non-Hispanic (n=132) with African American/Black (n=12),
Asian (n=6), Hispanic or Latino (n=3), and Middle Eastern (n=1). Education levels ranged from
a High School Diploma (including some college, but no degree) (n=13), Associate Degree (n=7),
Bachelor's (n=23), Master’s (n=37), and Doctoral/Professional (including JD, MD) (n=94). Two
participants declined to give their education level. Qualitative data analysis (Braun & Clarke,
2006) involving identifying themes indicating ageist treatment led to several related themes.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Analysis indicated that the majority of participants who reported age discrimination were over
50 and female. Of those who reported being negatively affected by perceptions of workplace
discrimination, 56 were female, and 17 were male. Analysis indicated that 22.67 % (n = 17)
experienced helplessness, self-doubt, powerlessness, and a lack of trust in others. Sixteen
percent (n= 12) felt invisible, othered, and marginalized. Another 16 % felt self-image threats,
and 11 % felt less competent and disengaged and distanced themselves from their jobs as a
result of mistreatment. The following primary themes, ageist experiences, threats to feelings of
competence and helplessness, self-doubt, isolation, and loneliness, are discussed in more detail
below.
A greater number of women stated that they had experienced age discrimination in the
workplace. Fifty-six women and seventeen men reported ageist experiences. Thematic analysis
of open-ended questions identified several related themes by those who reported ageism.
Recurrent themes were identified as: Feelings of helplessness; marginalization, loneliness, and
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isolation; invisibility and self-silencing; concerns relating to technology; lowered life
satisfaction; threats to competence; and “momism.”
Helplessness: Seventeen participants explicitly stated they felt helpless, self-doubt, sadness,
and growing powerlessness. Statements by those over 50 regarding helplessness included:
“I am beginning to feel that I cannot do anything. Every time I suggest something, my colleagues
appear to consider it, but then they go in a different direction, ultimately completely ignoring
my ideas.”
“I cannot remember the exact wording, but I have overheard my colleagues saying – is she not
retirement age.”
“I feel that I get very little positive affirmation for the hard work I put in.”
Marginalization, loneliness, and isolation: Several participants (n = 26) stated that they felt
increasingly marginalized, lonely, invisible, isolated, and othered as they got older. Statements
below are examples of comments by older workers:
“Last week, I was 15 minutes late to a meeting, and they had already moved on from important
discussions without my input. This is the first time I was ever late; when others are not there,
we make certain to wait or to hear what they have to say. I tried to express my views, but I was
talked over as if I had not spoken.”
“I feel like I cannot talk with anyone at work anymore. There is lots of discussion about
community, but no one wants to hear anything I have to say. I have just learned to be quiet.”
“I feel like I am alone at work. It is a lonely feeling.”
Invisibility and self-silencing: Sixteen percent (n = 12) reported that they felt invisible,
dismissed, marginalized, irrelevant, and othered. For example, one older woman said: “When
you are young, you are not respected; when you pass 50, you are not respected; it seems there
is only a narrow winder in the middle when age is an advantage, at least for a woman. I often
feel pushed to the side.”
“I often speak up in meetings, but my comments are also often not acknowledged. I feel like I
may as well not be there.”
Several participants (n=10), particularly the female participants, also stated that they engaged
in self-silencing, avoided expressing their feelings, and felt compelled to accept mistreatment.
As a result, they became increasingly disengaged, worked less, and were less enthusiastic about
work.
“It is difficult to separate the discriminations, I feel. Is it because I am a Latina or an older
woman? But I definitely feel I am talked down to, especially regarding technology.”
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Shippee, T. P., Wilkinson, L. R., Schafer, M. H., & Shippee, N. D. (2019). Long-term effects of age discrimination on
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and Social Sciences, 74(4), 664–674. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbx017
Urwin, M. (2022, August 24). Ageism in the workplace: Statistics to know. Builtin. https://builtin.com/diversity- inclusion/ageism-in-the-workplace
U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau. (2019). Employment and earnings by occupation.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/occupations
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, April). Women in the labor force: a databook.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/2020/home.htm
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