structural:reformatting
Ageism is a bias against individuals and groups based on their age, which may take the form of discrimination at all levels against such individuals and groups, up to and including victimization and bullying. The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe discrimination against the elderly, patterned on the terminology of sexism and racism. Butler defined ageism as a combination of three connected elements: negative attitudes towards old age and the ageing process, discriminatory practices against older people, and institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about elderly people. The term "ageism" is also used to describe the oppression of younger people by older people. An example is a 1976 pamphlet published by Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor, MI. In the UK, councillor Richard Thomas pointed out that age discrimination works against younger and older people at a meeting of the Bracknell Forest Council in June 1983. It has also been used regarding prejudice and discrimination, especially against adolescents and children, such as denying them certain rights and privileges usually reserved for adults. These include the right to vote, run for political office, refuse medical treatment, and sign contracts. This definition of ageism can also include ignoring the ideas and contributions of adolescents and children because they are considered "too young" or assuming that their behavior is stereotypical of their younger age. Ageism against the young also includes penalties, burdens, or requirements imposed exclusively on young people than on older people, such as age-based military conscription. In a youth-oriented society, however, older people bear a large proportion of age bias and discrimination. Older people themselves can be deeply ageist, having internalized a lifetime of negative stereotypes about aging. Ageism is often attributed to fears of death and disability; avoiding, segregating, and rejecting older people serves as coping mechanisms that allow people to avoid thinking about their mortality. The stigma and discrimination around the loss of physical or mental capacity is ableism.