The Canadian population is aging, as is the Canadian workforce. Today, four generations find themselves cohabiting in the workforce together. This may have an impact on workplace collaboration and communication, as both of these processes are influenced by group perceptions. Academic research has focused upon workplace interactions mainly from a younger worker’s perspective; hence, the older worker’s voice has been overlooked. The objective of this study is thereby from an older worker’s perspective, to understand how generations perceive each other in the workplace, and further, understand how these perceptions influence intergenerational communication and collaboration. To do so, we have relied upon Communication Accommodation Theory and Social Identity Theory, and have conducted a survey to measure the influence of ageist stereotypes on communication and its accommodation, in addition to such influences on knowledge transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-49).

La première décennie du XXIe siècle est une période charnière dans l’histoire des représentations du vieillir et de l’être vieux. Durant les années 2000, le cinéma hollywoodien offre de nouvelles images du vieillir, moins alarmistes, moins stéréotypées, en somme plus positives. Non plus systématiquement relégué au second plan, le personnage âgé se fait une place parmi les héros hollywoodiens. Le vieillir n’est alors plus dissimulé, mais mis à l’honneur, dans ces films portés par un héros âgé. Par leur présence et leur visibilité dans ce cinéma hautement commercial, ces nouveaux personnages vieillissants signalent un phénomène majeur : durant les années 2000, le vieillir devient commercialement profitable, notamment car se reconnaît dans ces films une génération exceptionnelle par de nombreux aspects, celle des baby-boomers. Par ailleurs, au travers de ces nouvelles représentations du vieillir se fait jour une transformation sociétale plus large avec l’avènement d’un nouveau rapport à la vieillesse, le « vieillir nouveau », qui substitue aux clichés âgistes et à l’idée du vieillir comme déclin un discours positif sur la vieillesse. Cette étude, circonscrite aux films hollywoodiens à succès de la période 2000-2010, propose de mettre en lumière ces nouvelles représentations hollywoodiennes du vieillir et la façon dont le cinéma s’est fait ainsi l’écho de discours innovants sur la question tout en tentant d’offrir sa propre version d’un vieillir nouveau. / The first decade of the 21st century marks a transition in the history of the representations ofaging and old age. In the 2000s, Hollywood started offering new images of aging : less alarmist, less stereotypical, they are, all in all, more positive. As he is no longer pushed in the background,the aging character finds his way amid Hollywood heroes. In those films, which are carried by an old hero, aging is no longer concealed, but it is put in the spotlight. By their mere presence and visibility in such commercial cinema, these new aging characters signal a major shift : in the2000s, aging has become bankable, especially since its new portrayals speak to a generation which stands out on many different levels, the baby boomers. Besides, a wider social transformation shows through these innovative representations of aging, that of a new relationship to aging. “New aging” thus discards ageist clichés and the idea that aging isdeclining, and supplants these conceptions with a positive discourse on aging. This study revolves around popular Hollywood movies released between 2000 and 2010. It offers to shed a light on these new Hollywood representations of aging and on the way cinema has thus echoed innovative discourses on the matter, while attempting to offer its own version of a new outlook on aging.

The aim of the thesis is the most faithful interpretation of a senior´s image presented by media taking into consideration possible culture, political, social, alternatively other contexts jointly forming and affecting this image. During the data collection and their evaluation following research questions were taken into account: Do media information concerning seniors come under a typification and/or stereo-typification? Do the media correctly use terms "a senior" or "a pensioner"? Is it possible to discover an age-related discrimination in the media? To achieve this objective there was used a methodical support in a form of a content analysis of the most popular Czech dailies (Blesk, MF Dnes, Právo, Aha!) in the period from January 1st, 2010 to June 30th, 2012. The content analysis was followed by an interpretative part of the research based on the Glaser-Strauss´ grounded theory method. It was followed by a comparison and evaluation of the above stated methods using a categorization and a description of each of those categories arising from the research results.

Abstract This diploma thesis named "Perception of the Elderly by the Students of the University of South Bohemia" provides a detailed insight into the senior population viewed by the university students. The aim of this work is to register the students' attitudes and the opinions to this issue. The work consists of two parts a theoretical and the practical. The theoretical part deals with issue of ageing process, namely with the changes which are carried by this life period. Further, this part looks at personalities of university students and their needs in general. Next, it covers a general knowledge about interpersonal perception among humans. This part also describes problems of prejudices and stereotypes connected with a very actual issue ageism. The practical part of this diploma thesis contains an own qualitative research which includes a description of used methodology, examined sample, outcomes and further discussion. These data were collected during a field research in February 2014. It was used a technology of semantic differential. The research was undertaken within the University of South Bohemia. Students of Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Faculty of Economy and Faculty of Agriculture were asked to take a part in this study. They expressed their opinions via a web portal www.mojeanketa.cz. These faculties were chosen deliberately for their different fileds of studies. Thus, I compared the opinions of the students whose fields of studies are specialized either on the market and the business sector, or whose fields of studies are specialized on the help professions and, therefore, their further practice will be orientated to the non-profit sphere. Within this study there were distributed 400 record sheets in total (100 for each faculty) where the responders expressed their opinions. The opinions on the perception of the elderly were expressed within the scale from 1 to 5. The values of this scale has been of a contradictory character. For instance, there were these characteristics: beautiful/ugly, noisy/calm, self-sufficient/un-self-sufficient etc. There was also stated a hypothesis which has been predicted that the students of the University of South Bohemia perceive the elderly positively. The research proved this expectation. The outcomes also show that there is no big difference between the individual opinions of the students of different faculties. This result is actually very positive and, therefore, we can say that the students of the University of South Bohemia do not display any prejudices and stereotypes towards the senior population. The outcomes of this work might be very beneficial as sources for educational work beyond ageism. Further, there can be reached conclusions which will lead to reflection. This work can be used for further scientific investigations and publication activity.

Old age – and particularly the increasing numbers of older people globally and within the United Kingdom - is becoming a social and political phenomenon. Yet despite this, very little has been written on how the law – and especially mental disability law – intersects with old age. This is notwithstanding the fact that many older people may encounter conditions that impact their mental or cognitive abilities, and proportionally, may therefore be greatly affected by this area of law. By drawing on a number of theories – sometimes termed ‘relational’ theories – which are derived predominantly from feminist theory, this thesis seeks to explore the adequacy of mental disability law for safeguarding health and welfare-related decision-making of older adults in three areas; where an older person has been subjected to ageism, where they have been the victim of interpersonal abuse, and where they have dementia and may lack mental capacity. Within this broader goal, this thesis has two specific aims. First, to explicitly critique and challenge the adequacy of the law as it is applied in these circumstances. It is suggested in particular that a deeper analysis of the law in both its previous and current forms betrays the liberal and unduly individualistic roots of the legislative framework. These are roots that are predicated on non-interference, and an idealistic paradigm of the rational, autonomous, and healthy bodied individual. This – it is contended throughout – is an unsuitable philosophy to underpin the law, particularly where the law engages with older adults. Second, this thesis aims to navigate a more suitable pathway within the law as it currently exists. While operating as a tool to critique the legislative framework and its underpinning philosophy, it is argued that the theories drawn upon throughout the thesis also have the potential to highlight how the law could be implemented in such a way so as to emphasise the importance of the realities of the lived experiences of old age, and particularly the experience of ageism, abuse, and dementia. Crucially, it is also suggested that such theories can help the law pay greater attention to the complex web of relationships – both positive and negative; personal and societal – that an older person may find themselves embedded within, and that frequently take on an added significance in old age.

The Canadian population is aging, as is the Canadian workforce. Today, four generations find themselves cohabiting in the workforce together. This may have an impact on workplace collaboration and communication, as both of these processes are influenced by group perceptions. Academic research has focused upon workplace interactions mainly from a younger worker’s perspective; hence, the older worker’s voice has been overlooked. The objective of this study is thereby from an older worker’s perspective, to understand how generations perceive each other in the workplace, and further, understand how these perceptions influence intergenerational communication and collaboration. To do so, we have relied upon Communication Accommodation Theory and Social Identity Theory, and have conducted a survey to measure the influence of ageist stereotypes on communication and its accommodation, in addition to such influences on knowledge transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Czech Republic, like other European developed countries, has to deal with impacts of population ageing. The number of older people in society grows therefore the drain on workers in productive age is rising. Population ageing causes problems within current setting of the Czech pension system, especially in long-term sustainability of public finance. Hence added involvement of elderly people into working process becomes necessary. The goal of this Masters thesis is to analyse the situation of older workers on Czech labour market between 2005 and 2015 and to find some possible solutions that would increase the employment rate of people before and in retirement age. There are four chapters in the theoretical part that are dealing with population ageing, labour market, specificities of employing older workers and tools used to increase the employment rate. The practical part is focused on demographic situation in the Czech Republic and especially on analysis of the situation of older workers on the Czech labour market in comparison to countries of the European Union. Analysis that was carried out confirms that the overall employment rate of older workers in the Czech Republic is on a good level however there are some areas that need to be improved. For example, option of using part time working contracts is underused as well as the motivation of elderly people to stay economically active. In the last chapter there are possible solutions suggested. These recommendations could strengthen motivation of older workers to stay on labour market and in the same time should motivate employers to employ these workers.

The aim of the master's thesis is the analysis of unemployment of 50 and over years old population of the Czech Republic and the tools of Age Management which are used to improve conditions for groups that are defined on the basis of their age. The structure of the population is in detail described in terms of demography and economy in the thesis. To achieve all marked out objectives is made a graphic analysis of the unemployment rate of three specified age groups of the population in 2005 to 2014 up to the region level, which are divided into four groups according to economic prosperity and lagging regions. It is becoming more and more likely that we can expect increased numbers of employees 50+, and therefore government policy should pay sufficient attention to this group. We can assume that unemployment rate will continue to decline slightly, which also show forecasts of unemployment in the Czech Republic up to 2020.

Den genusvetenskapliga forskningen uppmärksammar idag flera olika maktordningar och intra-aktionen dem emellan. Aspekten ålder är emellertid relativt förbisedd, och vuxna och vuxenhet en omarkerad norm. I denna uppsats undersöker jag med utgångspunkt i queerteori, cripteori, intersektionalitet och kritisk åldersforskning föreställningar och antaganden i relation till kategorierna barn och vuxna i fem svenska tidningar/tidskrifter. Min uppsats visar att aspekten ålder intra-agerar med andra maktordningar i konstruktionen av både barn och vuxna. Vuxenperspektivet är i de undersökta tidningarna i princip ensidigt och synen på ålder är övervägande essentialistisk. Vuxna förstås som naturligt överordnade barn, vilka avhumaniseras och konstrueras som vuxnas rättighet eller egendom, eller som en förlängning av vuxenkroppen. Vuxenhet kopplas till reproduktion och yrkesarbete (på heltid) och vuxnas solidaritet bör enligt den hegemoniska diskursen ligga hos arbetsgivare och andra vuxna, inte hos barn. / Even though several researchers in gender studies of today are concerned with other central organizing aspects than gender, the social category age is disregarded. When it comes to age the naturalized norm in gender studies is the category the adult. In this thesis I investigate assumptions concerning the two age categories children and adults in five different newspapers and magazines, using an intersectional perspective and a queer theoretical framework. My investigation shows that the category age intra-act with other power structures in the construction of both children and adults. The adult perspective is more or less one-sided, and the view on age is primarily essentialistic. Adults are considered naturally superior, while children are dehumanized and constructed as the right and property of adults. Adultness is primarily linked to reproduction and (full-time) professional work, and adults should according to the hegemonic discourse be loyal to employers and other adults, not to children.