Crtical thinking in Gerontonlogy, the Field of Aging Essay

The field of Gerontology, which is a study of aging and the aged, is slowing expanding as the overall age of the population increases. Gerontology and the aging field are very important aspects to study as it allows us to challenge ageism and the discriminatory social practices that soon follow after an individual reaches a certain age in life. There are numerous assumptions made about those who are no longer considered young, and society discriminates and take advantage of them, to further its own gain. A large portion of the debate began back in the 1980’s from both the conservatives and the liberals about the challenge of ageism and that the aging population is taking away to many resources that are needed for the younger†¦show more content†¦Losing such control is deemed unacceptable, and thus, they are discriminated against for something that may not be true. With these negative stereotypes, the elderly are being discriminated against and discarded, but thi s not only hurting them, it is detrimental on society as a whole (Andrews, 2012). It affects the interaction they have with people of various ages, and those interactions are what fuel the social discrimination and conflict. However, there are certain organizations that attempt to change the perspective that society hold for its elder by getting rid of the negative stereotypes and replacing them with a more positive outlook and image of aging (Settersten Trauten, 2009). The media has created an anti-aging industry which tells society how to defy aging for as long as possible using anti aging cream or plastic surgery. But this is not what true aging is about, and anyone who is going through the process will agree. Ageing is not about trying to stay young, but rather about the natural transition of life. No one sees it as a natural transition, because of stereotyping, and discrimination. Aging has become a worldwide social problem because it could be looked at from both a beneficia l and detrimental perspective (Phillipson, 2006). Many people in society tend to focus on the negative aspects of aging, but there are many positive