This book was published in 2022, authored by Dr. Becca Levy, who teaches at Yale Institute for Global Health. I listened to this book.
… on Goodreads
What’s ageism 什么是年龄歧视?
I know everyone makes mistake BUT her book is or should be stringently researched, or at least well researched. Then how could a finely educated researcher get her data so WRONG? The foundation of the research is FLAWED.
I’m a senior but the only thing I don’t feel is being a victim. And what’s ageism? I don’t need her to tell me being active and think positively to stay healthy: this theory has long been out there and many of us are living our life just like that, naturally.
She wrote that “… 25% of our health is due to genes, … ” it seems low. “… 3/4 of our health … we can control. … As my research has shown, one of the these controllable factors is age beliefs.” What’s ‘age beliefs’? A new name for an old fact or believe, or creating a field for herself?
She used three cultures for this book: “Deaf Americans, hearing Americans, and mainland Chinese. Why these 3 particular cultures? … Chinese for its 2,000 years of confucian values, emphasizing filial piety, and respect for the old, which left significant imprint on contemporary life in China. Today multi generational households often lead by older members are a norm rather than exception, and elder people often speak their advanced years with pride.”
This is so laughable. WHERE exactly did she get this data? Did she do any real research??? Is she using concept vs reality?
Here are few points to points rebuttal:
Fact 1: Confucian is out since May 4th Movement in 1919, and eradicated since 1949. It was further bleached out our system during the Cultural Revolution, I still remembered it vividly.
“… filial piety, and respect for the old …” Please go find some facts and show me.
Fact 2: “multi generational households” is NOWHERE to be seen in China nowadays. Households may have three generations but that are only because the grannies are enlisted to take care of their grandkids, and the young wives are running the show. Grannies are mostly donating their service free of charge, a reluctant choice, out of necessity. Also, out of hope that when they old and die, someone is there to take care of them or bury them – an unequal bargain.
Chinese government intruded a law in 2013: visit your parents or facing fine and jail time. (check BBC, CNN … ) Does this sound like “Today multi generational households often lead by older members are a norm”?
Fact 3: “… and elder people often speak their advanced years with pride.” NO old people speaks, from the top leaders to rural peasants. Are there any memoirs inked by the ex-high ranking leaders? Ok, this is political aspect … but still, they’re or were part of old folks, right? China ranked #3 in the world for elder suicide. Vast population in China today is rural, and the old people in rural areas are poverty stricken, no pension or little of it, no medical care … suicide is the only way to leave in dignity. Yes, also to relieve their children from the financial ruins – one sickness could wipe out the entire family – this is another long story which I witnessed myself.
Fact 4: “US has gone from being one of the most age integrated to one of the most age segregated countries in the world. Household becoming less age diverse. In 1850, 70% of older Americans lived with their adult children, and 11% lived with spouse or alone. By 1990, only 16% of older individuals lived with their adult children, and 70% lived with spouse or alone. …” Just to make sure that I quote her correctly and entirely. Has she heard of industrial and digital revolutions, respectively? I thought this is the natural progression.
According to her Yale bio page, “Dr. Levy has given invited testimony before the United States Senate on the effects of ageism and contributed to briefs submitted to the United States Supreme Court in age-discrimination cases.” The blind leads the blind, so begins the vicious cycle.
Yale bio of her: Dr. Levy’s research explores psychosocial factors that influence older individuals’ cognitive and physical functioning, as well as their longevity. She is credited with creating a field of study that focuses on how positive and negative age stereotypes, which are assimilated from the culture, can have beneficial and adverse effects, respectively, on the health of older individuals.Her studies have been conducted by longitudinal, experimental, and cross-cultural methods.
She has received numerous awards for her research …
Dr. Levy has given invited testimony before the United States Senate on the effects of ageism and contributed to briefs submitted to the United States Supreme Court in age-discrimination cases.
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