Week 3: Gender & Age-Based Inequality

11/15/2012

You have been invited to speak on a student panel at Montgomery College about raising awareness on campus about the intersectionality of aging and gender, particularly as it relates to inequality and other social problems on college campuses. During your presentation, you are asked to specifically address these issues within the context of Montgomery College. Using your personal experience of studying on a college campus, such as Montgomery College, please address the following questions and how you would discuss them as a panel member. The questions are:

What do you personally believe the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and aging are?
Does gender-based and/or age-based inequality exist on campus? If so, how so? If not, why not?
How does inequality of aging and gender manifest itself on campus? Are there any examples you can you identify in which such inequalities have been observed and/or experienced?
What do you propose is necessary to address such inequalities on campus? How can your remedy or solution be carried out or implemented?

***Your response (blog post) to this blog above is required by Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. AND your three separate responses to your classmates are due on Friday, November 23, 2012***

24 Comments

Eric Fausto Pagdanganan

11/19/2012 03:25:21 am

I believe that the root cause of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and age is mainly based on the physical appearance of a person in terms of how old a person is, and if a person have limitation in doing certain things, and also, most people view that male can impose their power on their female ciunterparts. I think gender and aged based inequalities exist in school campuses. On gender perspective, Sexism behavior in college campuses is one example. For example, male colleagues may have sexist comments and attitudes towards their female coleagues. one of solutions that I could think of is by increasing awareness of sexism in college campuses. By increasing awarenes of discriminatory and prejudice behavior in campuses could probably help minimize the gender inequalities in campuses.

tajuana merella

11/24/2012 06:30:02 am

I agree with you about increasing awareness about sexism/ageism on college campuses because a lot of people are unaware that these problems may exist. While MC may not be as apparent in regards to inequalities, other colleges/universities that are not as diverse would greatly benefit if there were programs within these schools to create awareness.

Tyree Gray Wesley

11/24/2012 08:05:34 am

@tajuana I agree with you awareness would shine some life in people's faces, and when people are related to something and apply it to themselves they tend to change or work on those ways of living and stuff like that just like that.

Fabrice Mboua

11/26/2012 09:17:40 am

I definitely agree with you that older students could be the subjects of prejudice just by their appearance. An example would be not choosing an older person to join your group because you believe that they might have some limitations.

Golnaz Athari

11/19/2012 11:22:06 pm

•What do you personally believe the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and aging are?
As age increases, after a certain point physical strength and appeal begin to decline. The result is that the elderly are discriminated against in terms of the opportunities they lose and the handicap they may have when compared to their past. Gender discrimination against women is derived from patriarchy system of belief in which women are perceived as weaker human being. This serves as justification for all sorts of discrimination against women.
•Does gender-based and/or age-based inequality exist on campus? If so, how so? If not, why not?
I have not perceived any structural gender or age based discrimination. The wide varieties of age and gender are represented on the campus, and come together in the classrooms.
•How does inequality of aging and gender manifest itself on campus? Are there any examples you can you identify in which such inequalities have been observed and/or experienced?
I have not experienced or observed instances of aging or gender discrimination on campus.
•What do you propose is necessary to address such inequalities on campus? How can your remedy or solution be carried out or implemented?
There are no inequalities observed in terms of age or gender, so I have no proposal on how to solve them.

Daritza Lahoz

11/23/2012 03:06:08 am

I agree on your comment about the elderly. An example of this is those who were once involved in construction and began to notice that they were no longer capable of lifting heavy objects. As a result of their lost ability they may have been fired or asked to resign etc. Once this happens, the family takes on the responsibility of taking care of them. This is an allusion to the importance of retirement homes in society. In my opinion, homes provide service to the family and the elderly as they assume the responsibility that the family wasn’t able to uphold.

11/24/2012 08:00:41 am

In theory that's how it works but people do need to realize it doesn't apply for everyone and we shouldn't judge at all because a lot of times it comes off the wrong way.

sean simmons

11/20/2012 06:00:01 am

s we move farther away from times of harsher inequality I think these stigmas will be less rampant and less of an issue. I believe that the discrimination and/or prejudice specific to gender and age is a result of the role assignment society has given its community throughout our historical lineage. Before the industrial age, most everything had to be made by hand and onerous work. It makes sense to me that society had to come up with certain biases in order to optimize its efficiency. In the modern age we live in now, these biases are not needed, but many of the stigmas aren’t easily unlearned. As we move farther away from times of harsher inequality I think these stigmas will be less rampant and less of an issue. Personally, I feel that that MC is a great example of how people of all age, gender, and ethnic demographics are coming together to reach a similar goal, uninhibited by discrimination or prejudice. There is no certain demographic that dominates MC.

11/20/2012 06:01:20 am

Ignore first sentence please...

11/23/2012 04:03:26 am

I agree. The saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is an example of how society hasn’t been able to fully unlearn such stigmas. Because of where and how we are raised, many older parents stick to traditional gender roles, while younger parents have a more open mind when it comes to raising their children. I agree that these biases are no longer needed because society has become more independent. In today’s society, there is more competition for success and everyone has more of an equal access to opportunities (especially in education).

11/26/2012 09:24:33 am

I agree that someones specific upbringing can dictate how they perceive gender roles, and if they will have specific prejudices against a certain gender.

11/24/2012 06:22:29 am

I agree that it will be hard to get rid of certain stigmas that have been developed over a period of time. Just as there are people who are blind to ageism because society has kind of made it an okay thing, it isn't viewed as a problem by everyone because they think it is just a fact that older people's health with naturally decrease, and they will be weak.

Richard Yi

11/20/2012 06:05:54 am

I believe there are many causes of discrimination especially those specific to ones age or gender. At Montgomery College, students, and even teachers, discriminate others on age. Students tend to make assumptions on teachers depending on their age. Personally, I am even guilty on assuming the way a teacher teaches by his or her age. Students sometimes assume that old teachers are slow and dumb. However, this is not always the case because I currently have a teacher who is very old and is one of the best teachers I have ever had. I’m sure that teachers at Montgomery College also discriminate against students because of their age or sex. For example, a teacher may think that an older male student in the age group of thirty will be a harder working and more responsible student then a young female student who just graduated high school, or vice versa. The administration can also be prejudiced when it comes to hiring teachers. Some schools may prefer younger teachers, where as some schools may prefer older teachers with more experience. Although I feel like discrimination and prejudice of age and gender at Montgomery College cannot completely be eliminated, the school should try to make attempts to help decrease discrimination. Schools can help eliminate discrimination by hiring teachers of all ages and genders. Schools can also start to create quotas where they need to hire a diverse range of teachers, but I do not feel like this will be very effective.

11/20/2012 10:36:44 am

I believe that some of the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and aging are the expectations a society/ culture imposes upon them. Such expectations may be a result of traditions and previously held beliefs that males and females must act accordingly. An example of this is the expectation of women to be “lady like,” “polite” etc., while men are expected to be “strong,” “tough” etc. Discrimination specific to age may be that of expectations pertaining to being capable and valuable in society. Because the elderly are seen as being “weak” and sometimes require more attention in terms of health conditions, they may be discriminated in the workplace for example.
Because Montgomery College has such a diverse population, I have not witnessed nor believe that such discrimination/ prejudice/ inequality manifest themselves on campus. The diverse population has allowed us to encourage equality for everyone, and keep an open mind (even before judging a professor based on how he/she looks). An example of how equality is encouraged is the fact that MC has afternoon classes. Afternoon classes benefit everyone, including the older student population simply because it allows them to fit class into their busy schedule. Another example of how equality is promoted on campus is equal access to the writing center, math lab, and tutors etc. to get individualized attention / help if needed because everyone learns differently than others (including how fast they obtain the material addressed in class).

11/24/2012 06:18:11 am

I agree with you about not witnessing inequality on campus. As you said, there is a diverse population, and it seems as though resources are equally spread amongst all students on campus.

11/26/2012 09:27:53 am

I agree, I have never witnessed inequality on campus. Everyone has the same exact resources and opportunities here.

Taiwoayantunji

11/20/2012 12:09:28 pm

I believe that the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and age is a product of the assumption that women are weaker gender and by nature there is limitation to what they can do and there is this societal sentiment that old people are weak and may continue to deteriotate as they get older.I have not experienced or seen a gender based or age based inequality at montgomery college and this may be as a result of the outsanding policy of the college on gender equality and civility. Gender and ageing discrimination find it way to our campuses as a result of the soft policy of the school management on gender and ageing discrimination.the solution to this problem is simple: (1) the school management must have zero tolerance policy for this practics and encourage student to report the cases of gender and ageing discrimination. (2) awareness programs must be put in place to orientate the students on why we must fight gender and ageing discrimination on our campuses.

11/23/2012 02:54:36 am

I agree on your comment about women. Even though it is an assumption, I don’t think that women are given an equal opportunity for proving themselves of being strong. Although everyone is capable of the same thing, the assumption serves as a blanket for women to hide behind. Some women may be afraid of not being accepted simply because they are stronger than most men. An example of this is women body builders who are often made fun of because they look different as a result of challenging the stigma of women being fragile, weak etc.

Eric Pagdanganan

11/25/2012 02:26:11 pm

you are right about where discrimination and prejudice are coming from. It solely based on assumptions.

Tajuana Merella

11/24/2012 04:36:37 am

I believe that the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and aging are based on this society’s whole concept of beauty. From long ago a woman’s appearance and how she carried herself were the dominant ways to decide whether she was a “lady” or not. From women having to be polite, well groomed, wearing girdles to have their waist appear to be tiny, make-up, and upholding the image of being gentle and proper. These rules of being a “beautiful” woman have carried on in our society, and I feel have influenced the way aging is looked at as a negative thing in our society, especially for women. When looking at Hollywood, as was mentioned in class, the men with gray hair are seen as more handsome, the women who are aging get all types of criticism, like, you’re too old to be wearing that, look at the wrinkles on her face, or she looks good for her age. I believe that gender and age tie into one, while I feel that my example is only one aspect of age/gender equality, I think that it is one that is a lot more apparent in our society.
I haven’t personally observed any gender/age based inequality on our campus. Although I have witnessed people expressing their opinions on a person’s age at the campus. There are people who will say “Isn’t he/she a little old to still be taking classes,” and will judge the person in a negative way without knowing that person’s situation. They may assume that because the person is older and still in school that when that person were was “young” , they must of done very poorly in life and were irresponsible. In reality the person may already have a masters and a career, and just wants to go back to expand their education. This just shows how our society is set up in a way that it is expected to do things in life in a certain order, and at a specific age. As far as gender is concerned, I have witnessed having a professor who was a woman and also looked young, being harassed/flirted with by men in the class. I don’t think that these men would make certain comments to this professor had she looked older or been a male professor, but this is just my opinion.
As a classmate mentioned I believe that our campus is gender/age friendly, meaning it is set up in a way that prevents age/gender discrimination. As there are many different classes offered to exist with people’s schedules, and there are also many different ethnic groups at the campus, which promotes diversity.
As far as addressing any inequalities on campus, maybe there can be seminars/presentations on treating others equally, and not judging others based on age/gender/ethnicity. There could also be a requirement that people must take a course that would be only on week in the semester. This course might help people open there eyes up to these things, and help them be more mindful and respectful of others.

11/24/2012 07:55:21 am

I agree with your solution to this problem, for it would open students minds on the matter and should be successful in stopping it from going on so much.

11/24/2012 07:52:12 am

I believe the root causes of discrimination and prejudice specific to gender and aging is not understand true beauty and its evolution in time, not understand life’s changes, not understanding and relating to each other, and not realizing through this universe history shows us different changes and as human are nature should be adapting to those changes. Diversity is a real social norm that builds and increases as shown throughout history. Diversity is a social norm should we always adapt to and except in today society and by living that way there would be less social problems. When we go against the acceptance of diversity equality and expecting the ways of life and everything that’s natural and normal different societies to do that’s what we show as a form of ignorance and hated. It ignorance cause we judge without knowing. Because we are all human being we relate thus we should naturally be able to live peacefully with each other and accept each other. This applies to discrimination, and prejudice specifically to gender and aging. I do not really see gender and age based inequality on campus. If it does exist it’s because those who are doing so are judging people they don't know. We are in a community college and community colleges give an easier access to education to the entire community, and those of us that attend do so to get are education and get into a better career. Age and gender shouldn't matter because as adults we are to provide for ourselves and those we love. We better ourselves for those reasons and to make it in this world you need an education to understand how to stay on top and do your profession. Older people at my school can have masters for all i know in a different profession. It’s ignorant for me to laugh at them because I fell they may be too old, which is what some kids do. What if an older person laughed at me back, and called me stupid and I ain’t done anything in life and won’t become anything. How would you laughing at them feel? Or saying the girl sitting beside me might me dumb because she looks too beautiful so that most me she can’t be smart. Or by calling a girl "ratchet" because the way she dress, talk, and where she’s from. She’s still there to get an education at the end of the day, and that should be what’s most important. I see people say things like that about people in school all the time and I wonder why comment on someone, keep your negative comment to yourself. One of are classmates Tajuana talked about seminars/presentations or a week long course required to all student to addressed these issues and open people’s minds and help stop it from going on regularly.

11/25/2012 02:29:36 pm

You gave a good example of ignorance contributing to gender and aging discrimination and prejudice

11/26/2012 09:13:15 am

I believe the root causes of discrimination towards gender and aging come from personal experiences. Our personal experiences tend to dictate our future thoughts and beliefs. For example if you had a negative experience with a older female professor, you will probably try to avoid taking any more classes instructed by older females. I do not believe that gender-based or age-based inequality exists on campus, I have never seen any direct examples of inequality my time here. Everyone has the same exact opportunities at Montgomery College. I believe that age based inequality does exist on campus. It manifests itself by the younger students sometimes having preconceived notions about their older peers. I have heard many students express frustrations about their older peers, stating that they prolong classes, because they sometimes tend to ask a lot more questions than their younger peers. I haven't seen any gender-based inequality during my time on campus. I'm not going to lie, whenever I saw that their was an older person in my class I automatically assumed that the person would ask a lot of questions and that they would slow down the class. And just like most preconceived notions I was wrong. The only way to address these preconceived notions that can lead to inequalities is to simply coexist with each other and see that we are not so different.

Week 3: Gender & Age-Based Inequality

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