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BU Today: CADER Director Bronwyn Keefe Addresses Ageism in Nikki Haley’s “Grumpy Old Men” Campaign
In BU Today, Prof. Bronwyn Keefe, director of The Network and the Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER) at Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) explains how Nikki Haley’s latest ad campaign targeting President Biden and former President Trump perpetuates stereotypes about older adults. Prof. Keefe demonstrates how depicting older adults as mentally unfit normalizes ageism and leads to poorer health outcomes for this population.
Excerpt from “Is Nikki Haley Guilty of Ageism with Her ‘Grumpy Old Men’ Ad?” by Doug Most, originally published in BU Today:
“What is not fair in love and politics? I think this particular issue is just something that is pretty normalized. Ageism is just pervasive. When you go to CVS or someplace to get a birthday card, it’s everywhere, jokes about being older, not being able to hear—it’s so normalized. It’s one of the most normalized forms of discrimination. And it’s accepted. That is one of the challenges we find in the healthcare field. It’s more ubiquitous or accepted than others.”