Stereotypes In Canada

Stereotype as a societal norm should be discouraged in our society, because it is a social menace. Although the phenomenon is insidious, the effects of stereotype to the well-being of the affected people or group are enormous, which can include poor health outcome, inadequate and delayed treatment for health issues. In the worst case scenario could result to death (Levy, Ashman,& Slade, 2009). This paper will define the concept of stereotype as a societal construct against the older adults. It will examine the negative effect of stereotype on the older adult in three specific areas. The effect of stereotype to access of jobs by the older population, using the Canadian health system, this paper will discuss the effect of stereotype to Access …show more content…
Ageism as a form of stereotype is systems of behavior, norms, and policies, prejudices which dehumanizes, restrict and discriminates against people because of their age (Daniel. J., Blauth. C., Mcerrin. D., Paul B. Perrin, 2011). In Canada, report shows that people look down on senior citizens (Menec, 2012). In a survey by CTV news, eight out of 10 Canadians believe that seniors age 75 and above are considered as less important and mostly ignored than the younger generation (Menec, 2012)Furthermore, the most common areas of social discrimination experienced by the Canadian elders are; Older adults are being ignored and treated as being invisible. They are also being considered as useless without the ability to make any meaningful contribution. The older adults feel that society consider them to be incompetent (Menec, 2012). In Canada, ageism is not only inherent in the negative attitude of the young Canadians, but it is evident that ageism is embedded in the Canadian societal structure base on the assumption that everyone is young (Menec, 2012). This inaccurate assumption is an indication that the society has failed to recognize and respond to the needs of the Canadian seniors (Menec, 2012). The ageist assumptions may have contributed to the report of Canadian seniors in a survey by CTV news that, 1 in 3 Canadians said that they have witnessed …show more content…
According to the survey by CTV news, one in three Canadian seniors said that they have experienced discrimination both from the Canadian health care system and the health care professionals because of their age (Menec, 2012). Age discrimination has been seen to affect the older population’s access to health care through information exchange between the physician and the patient (Bathams. N., 2014). Physician do not pay attention to or ask for more information from the older people, they support and respect the younger generation more and they provider less medical information to the seniors using their complex medical jargons (law Commission of Ontario (LCO), 2015). It has also affected the screening procedure and treatment decision about their medical diagnosis (Bathams. N., 2014). Interview with some Canadian seniors revealed that health care professionals mostly dismiss their medical complains with the excuses that their patients are going through the normal process of aging, instead of regarding complains as problems that can be fixed (Bathams. N., 2014). This ageist attitude has contributed to the challenges of the seniors’ access to health care. Disease prevention and rehabilitation is seen to be unnecessary in the case of the older population because the health care providers assume that it is appropriate and acceptable for age to be a key determinant for access