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‘I've never given it a thought’: older men's experiences with and perceptions of ageism during interactions with physicians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2020

Hazel MacRae Open the ORCID record for Hazel MacRae [Opens in a new window]
Hazel MacRae*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
*
*Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The subjective experience of ageism among older men has received little research attention. This study examines older Canadian men's experiences with and perceptions of ageism during interactions with physicians. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 21 men aged 55 years and over. The findings indicate a seeming lack of awareness of ageism among many, and many did not believe ageism was likely to occur during patient–physician interaction. Negative stereotyping of older patients was common. A large majority of the participants reported that they had not personally experienced ageism during a medical encounter, nor were they concerned about it. Numerous rationales were proffered as explanations of why a particular participant had not experienced ageism and who was more likely to be a target.

Keywords

older menageismpatient–physician relationship
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 42 , Issue 6 , June 2022 , pp. 1318 - 1339
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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