AGEISM AND STIGMATIZATION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE BY REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT GENERATIONS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of stereotypes and ageism attitudes towards elderly people among representatives of different generations (youth, middle-aged people and elderly people themselves).Methodology. The study was conducted using a nonparametric criterion for comparing several independent samples - the Kruskal-Wallis test. Methods were used to study attitudes, attitudes towards ageism and semantic differential.Results. In the structure of stigmatizing attitudes of all three generations, prejudices about elderly people are most frequent, and to the greatest extent they are present among elderly people themselves, which makes it possible to talk about self-stigmatization. Discriminatory attitudes are least expressed in the structure of ageism in all age groups, but attitudes to avoid contact with the elderly are statistically significantly more present in the group of young people aged 18 - 35.Research implications. The results obtained can be used in building productive communications in transgenerational relationships and become the basis for the development of specialized training programs aimed at counteracting the formation of social stigmatization of elderly people.

Keywords

• gerontological ageism
• social stigma
• age stereotypes
• prejudices
• old age
• self-stigmatization