Using Ageism as a Lens for Challenging Inequities in Home Care
Abstract
This paper argues that ageism is a social structural dimension that riddles Canadian society but has yet to be challenged in the ways that sexism and racism are in North America. However, how the effects of ageism are experienced, how these impact the quality of life of individual elderly persons, depends on their social location. Thus, developing an intersectional analysis is essential for resisting ageism.
The analysis builds on two of the author’s recent research projects in the home care policy field. One project used a PAR methodology involving a half-dozen activist senior citizens over a three year period. The second project, building on the knowledge generated from the earlier project, mounted a multi-faceted community engagement campaign with diverse groups of senior citizens. The article analyses these data and the operation of ageism in everyday life.
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