Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EuroAgeism (An international, multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral training network on ageism)
Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2022-04-30
Europe has the largest percentage of older adults worldwide. By 2060, 28 out of every 100 people will be over that age. At the same time, there is a high prevalence of ageism; the complex and often negative construction of old age, in society at large, and among researchers and practitioners in particular. The detrimental effects of ageism or age inequality are substantial in all aspects of life. In the workforce, older adults are less likely to find a job and in many countries, are arbitrarily forced to retire at a certain age. Confronting ageism from co-workers challenges the job performance of older workers, and is associated with poorer mental health. In the health care system, older adults are less likely to be offered expensive or innovative treatments, and are often excluded from clinical trials, which could have helped to define geriatric doses and analyse basic medication efficacy and safety. Moreover, older adults disproportionally use healthcare services, and the availability of social and health services for this population is limited. These problems and barriers due to ageism have substantial implications on the quality of life and well-being of older adults and their active involvement in society. Also, in the media, older adults are often presented inappropriately. Finally, at the individual level, we all hold age-related stereotypes that play a substantial role in our health and wellbeing, as well as in our aging processes. Our negative views of aging may lead to poor health outcomes and increased mortality.
Based on these factors, Europe has a societal mandate to lead research and policy in the field of ageism. We aimed to develop an innovative training network on the topic of ageism. To date, research on the topic has been fragmented and is still lagging behind research on the other two "isms," namely sexism and racism. To address these shortcomings, EuroAgeism has focused on harmonising different theoretical and methodological disciplines in the field of ageism. This network relied on a multi-disciplinary cooperation in the training of a new generation of researchers in this field, using expertise of various disciplines. Moreover, EuroAgeism was dedicated to the direct dissemination of research findings to policy stakeholders and the public in order to decrease ageism in everyday life, in clinical and in social practice. The network aimed to improve the understanding of the antecedents, manifestations and consequences of ageism in several spheres of life including the workforce, health, media, social relations and everyday activities. In addition, the network was designed to develop intervention options that aim to combat ageism. The innovative aspects of the proposed research program concern its international, multi-disciplinary, and multi-sectorial aspects needed for a science-policy dialogue and to ensure the relevance of the research to policy stakeholders.
Based on these factors, Europe has a societal mandate to lead research and policy in the field of ageism. We aimed to develop an innovative training network on the topic of ageism. To date, research on the topic has been fragmented and is still lagging behind research on the other two "isms," namely sexism and racism. To address these shortcomings, EuroAgeism has focused on harmonising different theoretical and methodological disciplines in the field of ageism. This network relied on a multi-disciplinary cooperation in the training of a new generation of researchers in this field, using expertise of various disciplines. Moreover, EuroAgeism was dedicated to the direct dissemination of research findings to policy stakeholders and the public in order to decrease ageism in everyday life, in clinical and in social practice. The network aimed to improve the understanding of the antecedents, manifestations and consequences of ageism in several spheres of life including the workforce, health, media, social relations and everyday activities. In addition, the network was designed to develop intervention options that aim to combat ageism. The innovative aspects of the proposed research program concern its international, multi-disciplinary, and multi-sectorial aspects needed for a science-policy dialogue and to ensure the relevance of the research to policy stakeholders.
Following an international search, 15 early stage researchers (ESRs) were selected, of which there was a great diversity in nationality, disciplines, and gender.
Each ESR lead his or her own individual research project and all ESRs had experience in both academic and policy settings due to the opportunity to engage in secondments.
WP1 explored the aetiology, manifestation, and consequences of ageism in the workforce. The overall results provide an ecological (macro, meso, micro) perspective on ageism as a barrier to active participation of older adults in the workforce and its impact on society at large. The key scientific findings of WP1 are based on a holistic multi-level approach, which considers various manifestations of ageism, while paying attention to gender differences in the workforce.
WP2 aimed to address ageism in relation to access to goods and services, in order to enhance solidarity between the generations, improve the care provided to older adults and extend healthy life years, which have declined recently. The key scientific findings of WP2 are based on a holistic multi-level approach, which considers various manifestations of ageism.
WP3 aimed to promote an age-friendly society, which advocates for equality and helps older adults to realize their full potential.
This WP used evidence-based measures on how to address ageism in the context of technology usage as well as in the context of legislation. Measures to combat ageism with regard to older adults’ technology usage are based on the findings of research projects.
Our network aimed to bridge policy and practice through different activities, including:
• Training, mentoring and secondments that allowed ESRs to gain exposure to policy processes and build relevant skills
• Policy-oriented events/exchanges with policymakers
• First-hand experience in writing policy briefs (based on individual or joint projects) and reports (based on WP cooperation), which provide policy recommendations
• Webinars which addressed the intersection between research and policy in the field of ageism (tailored and in collaboration with older and younger people)
• A podcast on ageism available in English and Spanish
To supplement the training provided to ESRs and open to the general public and interested researchers from outside the network, numerous consortium-wide training activities have been conducted since the start of the project both in-person and online.
ESRs presented their work in scientific publications and in different national and international conferences. ESRs presented papers, participated in panels, organized symposia and showcases posters. ESRs also participated in non-academic talks, geared to lay people of different age groups, contributed to blogs on the topic of ageism and organized webinars for school age children as well as webinars for older people. They also produced a podcase in different languages as well as policy briefs and reports.
Each ESR lead his or her own individual research project and all ESRs had experience in both academic and policy settings due to the opportunity to engage in secondments.
WP1 explored the aetiology, manifestation, and consequences of ageism in the workforce. The overall results provide an ecological (macro, meso, micro) perspective on ageism as a barrier to active participation of older adults in the workforce and its impact on society at large. The key scientific findings of WP1 are based on a holistic multi-level approach, which considers various manifestations of ageism, while paying attention to gender differences in the workforce.
WP2 aimed to address ageism in relation to access to goods and services, in order to enhance solidarity between the generations, improve the care provided to older adults and extend healthy life years, which have declined recently. The key scientific findings of WP2 are based on a holistic multi-level approach, which considers various manifestations of ageism.
WP3 aimed to promote an age-friendly society, which advocates for equality and helps older adults to realize their full potential.
This WP used evidence-based measures on how to address ageism in the context of technology usage as well as in the context of legislation. Measures to combat ageism with regard to older adults’ technology usage are based on the findings of research projects.
Our network aimed to bridge policy and practice through different activities, including:
• Training, mentoring and secondments that allowed ESRs to gain exposure to policy processes and build relevant skills
• Policy-oriented events/exchanges with policymakers
• First-hand experience in writing policy briefs (based on individual or joint projects) and reports (based on WP cooperation), which provide policy recommendations
• Webinars which addressed the intersection between research and policy in the field of ageism (tailored and in collaboration with older and younger people)
• A podcast on ageism available in English and Spanish
To supplement the training provided to ESRs and open to the general public and interested researchers from outside the network, numerous consortium-wide training activities have been conducted since the start of the project both in-person and online.
ESRs presented their work in scientific publications and in different national and international conferences. ESRs presented papers, participated in panels, organized symposia and showcases posters. ESRs also participated in non-academic talks, geared to lay people of different age groups, contributed to blogs on the topic of ageism and organized webinars for school age children as well as webinars for older people. They also produced a podcase in different languages as well as policy briefs and reports.
The innovation of the proposed research program lies in its comprehensiveness, holistic approach and the true mixture of disciplines and perspectives dedicated to address ageism in Europe.
EuroAgeism has a particular relevance to the social sphere, given the fact that ageism is a social problem that prevents older people from reaching their full potential. Nonetheless, there is ample research to show that ageism has a substantial financial impact both in the healthcare sector, but also in employment, for instance.
Economically and socially, EuroAgeism is likely to assist Europe in reaching its explicit goals of extending working life, increasing intergenerational solidarity and ensuring equal opportunities.
For innovative breakthroughs, there is a need to bridge across disciplines to enhance a new form of science, which is borderless and free to ask innovative questions and answer them in unorthodox ways. This was done through the 15 individual research projects and in collaboration with our policy partners.
Our training events, both online and offline were well-attended both by our own consortium members and by researchers from other countries and institutes, who were not part of the consortium. In addition- our training materials are available now online and have been used by diverse audiences as can be seen below. Finally, EuroAgeism has established a new generation of ESRs who can serve along the science-policy continuum in the field of ageism. This is already evident by recent professional appointments taken by ESRs.
EuroAgeism has a particular relevance to the social sphere, given the fact that ageism is a social problem that prevents older people from reaching their full potential. Nonetheless, there is ample research to show that ageism has a substantial financial impact both in the healthcare sector, but also in employment, for instance.
Economically and socially, EuroAgeism is likely to assist Europe in reaching its explicit goals of extending working life, increasing intergenerational solidarity and ensuring equal opportunities.
For innovative breakthroughs, there is a need to bridge across disciplines to enhance a new form of science, which is borderless and free to ask innovative questions and answer them in unorthodox ways. This was done through the 15 individual research projects and in collaboration with our policy partners.
Our training events, both online and offline were well-attended both by our own consortium members and by researchers from other countries and institutes, who were not part of the consortium. In addition- our training materials are available now online and have been used by diverse audiences as can be seen below. Finally, EuroAgeism has established a new generation of ESRs who can serve along the science-policy continuum in the field of ageism. This is already evident by recent professional appointments taken by ESRs.