Attitudes to age in Britain 2010/11

In-House Research

Attitudes to age in Britain 2010/11

by Daniel Sweiry and Maxine Willitts

Department for Work and Pensions In-House Research No 7

Attitudes to age in Britain 2010/11

Daniel Sweiry and Maxine Willitts

A report of research carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions

? Crown copyright 2012.

You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives..uk.

This document/publication is also available on our website at:

Any enquiries regarding this document/publication should be sent to us at:

Department for Work and Pensions, Commercial Support and Knowledge Management Team, Work and Welfare Central Analysis Division, Upper Ground Floor, Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield S1 2GQ

First Published 2012

ISBN 978-1-84947-929-5

Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other Government Department.

- 1 -

Contents

Acknowledgements

8

The Authors

9

Executive Summary

10

1

Introduction

15

1.1

Ageism and ageing

15

1.2

Constructs

15

1.3

Aims and outcomes for this report

17

1.4

Surveys, sampling and methodology

18

2

Age categorisation and identification

19

2.1

Introduction

19

2.2

Categorisation of other people as young 19

or old

2.3

Chapter summary

25

3

Perceived age prejudice

26

3.1

Introduction

26

3.2

Perceived seriousness of age

26

discrimination

3.3

Binary logistic regression

30

3.4

Chapter summary

34

4

Experiences of age discrimination

35

4.1

Introduction

35

4.2

Personal experiences of age

35

discrimination

4.3

Binary logistic regression

39

4.4

Chapter summary

43

5

Age stereotypes

44

5.1

Introduction

44

5.2

5.3

5.4 5.5 5.6 6 6.1 6.2

6.3 7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 8 8.1 8.2

8.3 8.4 9 9.1 9.2 References Appendices

- 2 -

Comparisons between friendly,

44

competent and having high moral

standards stereotypes

Other peoples' views of these

46

stereotypes

Personal views of these stereotypes

46

Age group differences

47

Chapter summary

54

Ageing as a perceived threat

55

Introduction

55

Perceptions of threat to economic well- 55

being

Chapter summary

62

Expressions of age prejudice

63

Introduction

63

Indirect prejudice

63

Direct prejudice

67

Social distance

69

Chapter summary

78

Inter-generational closeness

79

Introduction

79

In what ways are people aged over 70

79

and in their 20s viewed as different?

Inter-generational contact

84

Chapter summary

89

Conclusions

90

Key findings

90

Policy implications

92

93

95

- 3 -

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Mean age at which people are perceived to stop

24

being young and at which old age is perceived to

start, by other demographics

Table 3.1 Percentage of respondents indicating different levels 26

of seriousness of age discrimination, by gender

Table 3.2 Mean rating of seriousness of age discrimination, by 27

demographics

Table 3.3 Percentage of respondents indicating different levels 29

of seriousness of age discrimination, by

demographics (row percentages)

Table 3.4 Summary table for the binary logistic regression on 31

the risk of reporting the seriousness of age

discrimination

Table 3.5 Odds ratios for the binary logistic regression on the 33

risk of reporting the seriousness of age

discrimination

Table 4.1 Percentage of respondents indicating how often in

35

the past year anyone has shown them prejudice

because of their age, by gender

Table 4.2 Mean rating of how often in the past year

36

respondents shown prejudice because of their age,

by demographics

Table 4.3 Percentage of respondents indicating how often in

38

the past year anyone has shown them prejudice

because of their age, by demographics (row

percentages)

Table 4.4 Summary table for the binary logistic regression on 40

the risk of experiencing age discrimination

- 4 -

Table 4.5 Odds ratios for the binary logistic regression on the 42

risk of experiencing age discrimination

Table 5.1 Mean evaluation for friendliness, competence and

50

high moral standards stereotypes for those aged

over 70 and in their 20s, by demographics

Table 5.2 Mean evaluation for friendliness, competence and

52

high moral standards stereotypes for those in their

20s and those aged over 70, by demographics

Table 6.1 Percentage of respondents indicating extent to which 56

people in their 20s and aged over 70 contribute

economically

Table 6.2 Mean rating of extent to which respondents see

56

people in their 20s and aged over 70 contributing

economically, by demographics

Table 6.3 Percentage of respondents indicating extent to which 59

people in their 20s and aged over 70 contribute

economically, by demographics (row percentages)

Table 7.1 Percentage of respondents indicating status of

64

people in their 20s, 40s, aged over 70 and those

your own age

Table 7.2 Mean rating of status of people in their 20s, 40s,

66

aged over 70 and your own age, by demographics

Table 7.3 Percentage of respondents indicating how negative 67

or positive they feel towards people in their 20s and

people aged over 70 (2010)

Table 7.4 Mean rating of how negative or positive they feel

68

towards people in their 20s and people aged over

70, by demographics

Table 7.5 Percentage of respondents indicating how acceptable 70

or unacceptable 30-year-old and 70-year-old

appointed as boss, by gender

- 5 -

Table 7.6 Mean rating of how acceptable or unacceptable 30- 72

year-old and 70-year-old appointed as boss, by

demographics

Table 7.7 Percentage of respondents indicating how acceptable 75

or unacceptable 30-year-old and 70-year-old

appointed as boss, by demographics

Table 8.1 Percentage of respondents indicating how people in 82

their 20s and those over 70 are viewed as

individuals or as part of a group, by demographics

(row percentages)

Table 8.2 Percentage of respondents indicating number of

85

friends or family members younger than 30 or older

than 70 with whom they can discuss personal issues,

by gender

Table 8.3 Percentage of respondents who had friendships with 87

people aged under 30 and over 70, by demographics

(row percentages)

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download