In my social policy course, I learned that people correlate age with health or fitness. As a result, many elderly people are discriminated against in the workplace because many employers believe that “older” people are incapable to meet the physical criteria of the position. Like many, I presumed that elderly people were not physically fit, and were not mentally able to make decisions for themselves. For example, I used to think that older people should not drive, because older people have difficulty with vision and hearing. Learning about ageism, in my social problems made me realize my own biases towards elderly people. Before taking my social policy course, I did not think that ageism affected me, nor did I think of how ageism would affect me as an older adult. Now knowing that I once did not know how ageism affected me makes me realize that I am privileged. Moving on, I learned that children face challenges in regards to their age. Children are not listened to or respected by parents, but are ironically taught to respect people who are older than them. Before taking social policy, there were many times were I did not believe or value the opinion of children, because of their age. In social policy, I began to notice my own preconceptions of what I thought it meant to be young or old. Also, I realized that my upbringing and norms had an impact on my feelings about ageism. For example, I used to think …show more content…
Though there are laws that protect people with disabilities in the workplace, many people who are disabled are rejected by employers because it is perceived that people who are disabled do not attain the skills of a “normal” individual. Not to mention, many people with disabilities face difficulties in adopting or having children, because it is perceived that persons with disabilities will not be able to care for children like “normal” individuals. I also placed stigmas on people with disabilities. Like many, I perceived that people with disabilities, were weak and incapable of being independent, and functioning in society. Prior to taking my social policy class and Family systems course, I was unaware of how social policies constrain people who are disabled. I began to value the importance of self-determination, which is. Not to mention, the theoretical framework of person-in-environment allowed me to see how social polices impact individuals with disabilities, what is person in environment. For example, I began to realize that many sidewalks and ramps are not accessible for persons with disabilities. In effect, I gained self-awareness of my privileges as an able –bodied