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Hey Robert,
I just need you to make this change to the paper for me and can you highlight the changes also. I’m going to upload the file let me know if you need anything else.
Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in U.S. culture.
CRITERION:Discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination.
Non-Performance
Does not discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece.
Faculty Comments:“
I still do not see a discussion of how the minority and dominant groups are portrayed in this particular article. You mention dominant/minority but don’t define those terms or identify which groups is which in the article. How does the article describe and present those they consider to be the minority? What impact does this have on the reader?”
Running head: THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The Media and Diversity
Nikki Singletary
Cultural Diversity
Capella University
January 2019
1
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The world is composed of people from different backgrounds, with different cultures,
different ages, among other diverse aspects. The differences in human can lead to discrimination
whereby people get mistreated because of their category. Discrimination refers to the denial of
fair treatment to some people because they belong to a particular group. Discrimination occurs
mostly because of the preconceived perception of a specific individual based on their nationality,
race, religion, age, et cetera. Many researcher and authors have focused on different forms of
discrimination.
In the article Age Discrimination And Women In The Workplace: How To Avoid Getting
Pushed Out written by Bonnie Marcus in the Forbes Magazine, the author focuses on age
discrimination and more so how it affects women. Age discrimination refers to the act of
employers prohibiting certain people from employment based on their age. An employer should
not judge an applicant based on their age. Age discrimination is prevalent in workplaces, and it
mostly affects the older people. Some organizations consider employees as unable to perform as
soon as they click 40 years.
According to Marcus (2018), many organizations do not focus on the track records and
performance of employees as much as they focus on age. The above is the case for many women
especially once they get to 50 years of age. Some women would dedicate so much energy to the
organization and still be left out when the organization seeks to promote employees. The author
states that many organizations consider men like a fine wine which gets better with age and
increases in value. However, women face a constant battle of staying relevant in the industry as
soon as they get to middle age. This difference results in some people being passed over by the
organization when opportunities for promotion arise. In worse cases, the women are
marginalized or pushed out to create room for younger employees. The assumptions made in age
2
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination involve the assumption that older women lack the stamina and momentum that
would keep them productive in their positions. Some organizations also apply the same rule to
men assuming that they are not technically savvy, would like to go slow on their jobs and they
no longer invest in building their career. The author states that usually, the opposite is exact; the
organizations stop investing in their older employees as they focus on getting new energy.
The article further states that in the past, women were victims of the assumption that their
family lives interfere with their careers. When women left their positions to focus on raising
children, employers assumed that the women were no longer committed to working. According
to Smith and cook (2008), gender stereotyping affects the world even today, and one can see this
even in the motion picture content. The community still depict women as domestic caregivers
whose role lies mainly with the children. As such, when the children grew up, the women
seeking to return to their careers would face challenges getting hired again. The age
discrimination targeting older women further stall their jobs.
The author noted two main reasons for the age discrimination that is affecting women
more than men. First, age discrimination laws do not put much effort to protect women
especially the older ones who may feel the effects of both sex and age discrimination. Secondly,
the author states that age discrimination affects women more than men because age alters the
physical appearance of women more than it does for men.
In the article, the author demonstrates the dominant/minority group differentiation
through identifying the age discrimination that takes place in workplaces between older and
younger employees. The article mentions the stories and reasons as to why women are more
discriminated upon than men because of age. One of the ideas in the above-stated case involves
3
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
the physical changes that occur in women as they get older where they tend to offer a lower
volume of output.
Age discrimination is illegal, but many people face a challenge of proving that they are
victims. The federal law termed as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
protects people who are aged forty years and above from employment discrimination based on
age. The federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against persons because of their
age in the processes of employment, promotions, benefits, compensation, training, assignments,
and also hiring. The most challenging part of age discrimination cases is providing proof that
age is the motivating aspect. The article cites a case Gross v. FBL which was in the Supreme
Court in 2009. Jack Gross lost the case in the Supreme Court because he was not able to prove
that age motivated the demotion that was taking place in the workplace. Accompany can state
other reasons for pushing out or demoting older employees and win the cases. As such,
employees have the burden of proof in court, therefore, are disadvantaged.
Consequently, women are getting pushed out of their workplaces because they cannot
prove the motive of age. They have no option but to take the package offered and leave the
workplace. The current court process can result in severe retaliations between the employee and
the employer which would cause difficulties for the employee when he/she seeks for another
position.
The sociological theory that most appropriately explains links to age discrimination is the
Exploitation theory. Exploitation theory refers to the argument that demonstrates the profits
accruing to organizations as a result of exploiting employees’ wages. A highly paid older
employee may be demoted or pushed out for the organization to hire younger employees who
would most probably settle for lower pay as they try to build their careers. Many organizations
4
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
would like to make a profit from taking away some of the value that employees get for their
work. If an older female employee gets paid a lot by the company for their work, the
organization may seek to push them out and take in younger employees. Exploitation theory may
also apply in cases where women find reentry into the career world after a period of
concentrating on household matters. The employers might pay them less than they deserve citing
age and inexperience.
Another Theory that resonates well with age discrimination is the scapegoat theory
whereby an organization can blame people of particular ages for decreased productivity.
Scapegoat theory refers to the process where someone gets the blame for something they did not
do. Scapegoating occurs due to prejudice against the victim. Scapegoating happens in three
ways; one on one, one to group and group to group. In the case of age discrimination
Scapegoating can affect the older people because some people assume that age incapacitates
everybody in all sectors of life. Although some people face difficulties as they get older
organizations should not use age as a dividing factor.
Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination refer to the examination of the
four personalities that exist within the treatment of minority groups by thoughts words and
actions. There are four categories namely all-weather liberal, fair-weather illiberal, fair-weather
liberal, and all-weather illiberal. In Morton’s typology prejudice refers to the preconceived
irrational thoughts, notions, and attitudes directed towards a particular group of people.
Discrimination under the Merton’s typology refers to the acts of treating people unequally or
unfairly because of their status.
From the analysis of Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination, many
organizations that practice age discrimination is fair weather liberals who use prejudice and
5
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination only when it benefits them. Whenever the discriminatory acts seem expedient,
justifiable and profitable, the organizations practicing age discrimination will gladly apply it. The
hard part is that many of the discrimination acts will affect older women.
According to James et al. (2013) age discrimination related to lower engagement levels
for employees in spite of their age leads to multiple issues in the nation. However, the author
states that for older workers “there is a more negative relationship between unintentional
discrimination and employee engagement,” as opposed to younger people who have a more
negative engagement if the discrimination is intentional. The Authors conducted a study to
explore the relationship between unfair treatment of older workers and employee engagement.
They sampled more than 4500 workers with ages ranging from 18 to 94 in three regions in the
United States of America. The authors identified that the chances of older employees getting
promoted were lower than those of younger people. The discrimination against older people is
either intentional or unintentional. Intentional discrimination arises when an employee is fit for
employment or promotion, and yet they are less likely to get the job. Unintentional bias refers to
the situations where the older people are unfit for the positions, therefore, are less likely to get it.
According to Perron (2018), a study conducted by the AARP revealed that two out of
three employees have experienced or seen age discrimination within the workplace. The
investigation also showed that ninety-one percent of the respondents who participated In the
survey believed that age discrimination Is common in the workplaces. AARP Conducted the
study on 3900 people aged above 45 years who were either employed or seeking employment.
The researchers found that all though many of the American older people worked for financial
reasons, many of them also try to contribute to their careers and gain personal fulfillment. From
the sample group, 16 percent of the participants believed that they received a job they did not
6
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
apply for, twelve percent claimed that the stated had been overlooked during promotions, while 7
percent claimed that they had been fired, laid off or pushed out of their position because of age
discrimination. Among the participant who stated that they thought they would lose their job in
the following year, 33 percent mentioned they felt that the chances were high because of their
age. Seventy-six percent of the respondents stated that they would most likely more than three
months to get another position just because of their age.
Media is one of the leading sources of talks about discrimination and other related
matters. However, the press falls short as it holds conversations about police, stereotyping,
crime, and social injustices (Deggans, 2014). According to Critical Media Project. (n.d.), the
media creates messages about different groups and subjects depending on how they live. The
article ‘Age Discrimination and Women in the Workplace: How to Avoid Getting Pushed Out’
does not seem to be influenced or affected by power, the opinions and data given are authentic.
However, the author might have considered the interests of a particular interest group that stands
for the employment rights of women. The article may affect how corporations discriminate
against women because of their age. The author gives insight into the challenges that face older
women in workplaces thus making corporations and agencies more conscious.
One policy that can help the nation deal with age discrimination in the workplace should
involve clear guidelines on employment for older people. The system should include a required
minimum number of more former age employees that an organization should have at any one
time. The policy should also state clearly the minimum wage that the more former employees
should get and other benefits which they are entitled. The local, state and the federal government
should also identify agencies to implement the set policies.
7
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
8
References
Boone James, J., McKechnie, S., Swanberg, J., & Besen, E. (2013). Exploring the workplace
impact of intentional/unintentional age discrimination. Journal of Managerial
Psychology, 28(7/8), 907-927.
Critical Media Project. (n.d.). Class. Retrieved from
http://criticalmediaproject.org/category/class/
Deggans, E. (2014). Four lessons from the media’s conflicted coverage of the race. Retrieved
from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/12/06/368713550/four-lessons-fromthe-medias-conflicted-coverage-of-race
Marcus, B. (2018). Age discrimination and women in the workplace: How to avoid getting
pushed out. Retrieved January 21, 2019, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2018/05/12/age-discrimination-and-womenin-the-workplace-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-pushed-out/#77fdd3292c4a
Perron, R. (2018) The Value of Experience Study RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/economics/info-2018/multicultural-work-jobs/?cmp=rdrctpri-other-workjobs-052118.html
Smith. S. L., & Cook. C. A. (2008). Gender stereotypes: An analysis of favorite films and TV.
Retrieved from
https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/MDSCI_Gender_Stereotypes_in_Popular_Fil
ms_and_TV.pdf
Running head: THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The Media and Diversity
Nikki Singletary
Cultural Diversity
Capella University
January 2019
1
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The world is composed of people from different backgrounds, with different cultures,
different ages, among other diverse aspects. The differences in human can lead to discrimination
whereby people get mistreated because of their category. Discrimination refers to the denial of
fair treatment to some people because they belong to a particular group. Discrimination occurs
mostly because of the preconceived perception of a specific individual based on their nationality,
race, religion, age, et cetera. Many researcher and authors have focused on different forms of
discrimination.
In the article Age Discrimination And Women In The Workplace: How To Avoid Getting
Pushed Out written by Bonnie Marcus in the Forbes Magazine, the author focuses on age
discrimination and more so how it affects women. Age discrimination refers to the act of
employers prohibiting certain people from employment based on their age. An employer should
not judge an applicant based on their age. Age discrimination is prevalent in workplaces, and it
mostly affects the older people. Some organizations consider employees as unable to perform as
soon as they click 40 years.
According to Marcus (2018), many organizations do not focus on the track records and
performance of employees as much as they focus on age. The above is the case for many women
especially once they get to 50 years of age. Some women would dedicate so much energy to the
organization and still be left out when the organization seeks to promote employees. The author
states that many organizations consider men like a fine wine which gets better with age and
increases in value. However, women face a constant battle of staying relevant in the industry as
soon as they get to middle age. This difference results in some people being passed over by the
organization when opportunities for promotion arise. In worse cases, the women are
marginalized or pushed out to create room for younger employees. The assumptions made in age
2
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination involve the assumption that older women lack the stamina and momentum that
would keep them productive in their positions. Some organizations also apply the same rule to
men assuming that they are not technically savvy, would like to go slow on their jobs and they
no longer invest in building their career. The author states that usually, the opposite is exact; the
organizations stop investing in their older employees as they focus on getting new energy.
The article further states that in the past, women were victims of the assumption that their
family lives interfere with their careers. When women left their positions to focus on raising
children, employers assumed that the women were no longer committed to working. According
to Smith and cook (2008), gender stereotyping affects the world even today, and one can see this
even in the motion picture content. The community still depict women as domestic caregivers
whose role lies mainly with the children. As such, when the children grew up, the women
seeking to return to their careers would face challenges getting hired again. The age
discrimination targeting older women further stall their jobs.
The author noted two main reasons for the age discrimination that is affecting women
more than men. First, age discrimination laws do not put much effort to protect women
especially the older ones who may feel the effects of both sex and age discrimination. Secondly,
the author states that age discrimination affects women more than men because age alters the
physical appearance of women more than it does for men.
In the article, the author demonstrates the dominant/minority group differentiation
through identifying the age discrimination that takes place in workplaces between older and
younger employees. The article mentions the stories and reasons as to why women are more
discriminated upon than men because of age. One of the ideas in the above-stated case involves
3
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
the physical changes that occur in women as they get older where they tend to offer a lower
volume of output.
Age discrimination is illegal, but many people face a challenge of proving that they are
victims. The federal law termed as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
protects people who are aged forty years and above from employment discrimination based on
age. The federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against persons because of their
age in the processes of employment, promotions, benefits, compensation, training, assignments,
and also hiring. The most challenging part of age discrimination cases is providing proof that
age is the motivating aspect. The article cites a case Gross v. FBL which was in the Supreme
Court in 2009. Jack Gross lost the case in the Supreme Court because he was not able to prove
that age motivated the demotion that was taking place in the workplace. Accompany can state
other reasons for pushing out or demoting older employees and win the cases. As such,
employees have the burden of proof in court, therefore, are disadvantaged.
Consequently, women are getting pushed out of their workplaces because they cannot
prove the motive of age. They have no option but to take the package offered and leave the
workplace. The current court process can result in severe retaliations between the employee and
the employer which would cause difficulties for the employee when he/she seeks for another
position.
The sociological theory that most appropriately explains links to age discrimination is the
Exploitation theory. Exploitation theory refers to the argument that demonstrates the profits
accruing to organizations as a result of exploiting employees’ wages. A highly paid older
employee may be demoted or pushed out for the organization to hire younger employees who
would most probably settle for lower pay as they try to build their careers. Many organizations
4
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
would like to make a profit from taking away some of the value that employees get for their
work. If an older female employee gets paid a lot by the company for their work, the
organization may seek to push them out and take in younger employees. Exploitation theory may
also apply in cases where women find reentry into the career world after a period of
concentrating on household matters. The employers might pay them less than they deserve citing
age and inexperience.
Another Theory that resonates well with age discrimination is the scapegoat theory
whereby an organization can blame people of particular ages for decreased productivity.
Scapegoat theory refers to the process where someone gets the blame for something they did not
do. Scapegoating occurs due to prejudice against the victim. Scapegoating happens in three
ways; one on one, one to group and group to group. In the case of age discrimination
Scapegoating can affect the older people because some people assume that age incapacitates
everybody in all sectors of life. Although some people face difficulties as they get older
organizations should not use age as a dividing factor.
Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination refer to the examination of the
four personalities that exist within the treatment of minority groups by thoughts words and
actions. There are four categories namely all-weather liberal, fair-weather illiberal, fair-weather
liberal, and all-weather illiberal. In Morton’s typology prejudice refers to the preconceived
irrational thoughts, notions, and attitudes directed towards a particular group of people.
Discrimination under the Merton’s typology refers to the acts of treating people unequally or
unfairly because of their status.
From the analysis of Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination, many
organizations that practice age discrimination is fair weather liberals who use prejudice and
5
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination only when it benefits them. Whenever the discriminatory acts seem expedient,
justifiable and profitable, the organizations practicing age discrimination will gladly apply it. The
hard part is that many of the discrimination acts will affect older women.
According to James et al. (2013) age discrimination related to lower engagement levels
for employees in spite of their age leads to multiple issues in the nation. However, the author
states that for older workers “there is a more negative relationship between unintentional
discrimination and employee engagement,” as opposed to younger people who have a more
negative engagement if the discrimination is intentional. The Authors conducted a study to
explore the relationship between unfair treatment of older workers and employee engagement.
They sampled more than 4500 workers with ages ranging from 18 to 94 in three regions in the
United States of America. The authors identified that the chances of older employees getting
promoted were lower than those of younger people. The discrimination against older people is
either intentional or unintentional. Intentional discrimination arises when an employee is fit for
employment or promotion, and yet they are less likely to get the job. Unintentional bias refers to
the situations where the older people are unfit for the positions, therefore, are less likely to get it.
According to Perron (2018), a study conducted by the AARP revealed that two out of
three employees have experienced or seen age discrimination within the workplace. The
investigation also showed that ninety-one percent of the respondents who participated In the
survey believed that age discrimination Is common in the workplaces. AARP Conducted the
study on 3900 people aged above 45 years who were either employed or seeking employment.
The researchers found that all though many of the American older people worked for financial
reasons, many of them also try to contribute to their careers and gain personal fulfillment. From
the sample group, 16 percent of the participants believed that they received a job they did not
6
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
apply for, twelve percent claimed that the stated had been overlooked during promotions, while 7
percent claimed that they had been fired, laid off or pushed out of their position because of age
discrimination. Among the participant who stated that they thought they would lose their job in
the following year, 33 percent mentioned they felt that the chances were high because of their
age. Seventy-six percent of the respondents stated that they would most likely more than three
months to get another position just because of their age.
Media is one of the leading sources of talks about discrimination and other related
matters. However, the press falls short as it holds conversations about police, stereotyping,
crime, and social injustices (Deggans, 2014). According to Critical Media Project. (n.d.), the
media creates messages about different groups and subjects depending on how they live. The
article ‘Age Discrimination and Women in the Workplace: How to Avoid Getting Pushed Out’
does not seem to be influenced or affected by power, the opinions and data given are authentic.
However, the author might have considered the interests of a particular interest group that stands
for the employment rights of women. The article may affect how corporations discriminate
against women because of their age. The author gives insight into the challenges that face older
women in workplaces thus making corporations and agencies more conscious.
One policy that can help the nation deal with age discrimination in the workplace should
involve clear guidelines on employment for older people. The system should include a required
minimum number of more former age employees that an organization should have at any one
time. The policy should also state clearly the minimum wage that the more former employees
should get and other benefits which they are entitled. The local, state and the federal government
should also identify agencies to implement the set policies.
7
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
8
References
Boone James, J., McKechnie, S., Swanberg, J., & Besen, E. (2013). Exploring the workplace
impact of intentional/unintentional age discrimination. Journal of Managerial
Psychology, 28(7/8), 907-927.
Critical Media Project. (n.d.). Class. Retrieved from
http://criticalmediaproject.org/category/class/
Deggans, E. (2014). Four lessons from the media’s conflicted coverage of the race. Retrieved
from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/12/06/368713550/four-lessons-fromthe-medias-conflicted-coverage-of-race
Marcus, B. (2018). Age discrimination and women in the workplace: How to avoid getting
pushed out. Retrieved January 21, 2019, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2018/05/12/age-discrimination-and-womenin-the-workplace-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-pushed-out/#77fdd3292c4a
Perron, R. (2018) The Value of Experience Study RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/economics/info-2018/multicultural-work-jobs/?cmp=rdrctpri-other-workjobs-052118.html
Smith. S. L., & Cook. C. A. (2008). Gender stereotypes: An analysis of favorite films and TV.
Retrieved from
https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/MDSCI_Gender_Stereotypes_in_Popular_Fil
ms_and_TV.pdf
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
The Media and Diversity
Nikki Singletary
Cultural Diversity
Capella University
January 2019
1
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The world is composed of people from different backgrounds, with different cultures,
different ages, among other diverse aspects. The differences in human can lead to discrimination
whereby people get mistreated because of their category. Discrimination refers to the denial of
fair treatment to some people because they belong to a particular group. Discrimination occurs
mostly because of the preconceived perception of a specific individual based on their nationality,
race, religion, age, et cetera. Many researcher and authors have focused on different forms of
discrimination.
In the article Age Discrimination And Women In The Workplace: How To Avoid Getting
Pushed Out written by Bonnie Marcus in the Forbes Magazine, the author focuses on age
discrimination and more so how it affects women. Age discrimination refers to the act of
employers prohibiting certain people from employment based on their age. An employer should
not judge an applicant based on their age. Age discrimination is prevalent in workplaces, and it
mostly affects the older people. Some organizations consider employees as unable to perform as
soon as they click 40 years.
According to Marcus (2018), many organizations do not focus on the track records and
performance of employees as much as they focus on age. The above is the case for many women
especially once they get to 50 years of age. Some women would dedicate so much energy to the
organization and still be left out when the organization seeks to promote employees. The author
states that many organizations consider men like a fine wine which gets better with age and
increases in value. However, women face a constant battle of staying relevant in the industry as
soon as they get to middle age. This difference results in some people being passed over by the
organization when opportunities for promotion arise. In worse cases, the women are
marginalized or pushed out to create room for younger employees. The assumptions made in age
2
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination involve the assumption that older women lack the stamina and momentum that
would keep them productive in their positions. Some organizations also apply the same rule to
men assuming that they are not technically savvy, would like to go slow on their jobs and they
no longer invest in building their career. The author states that usually, the opposite is exact; the
organizations stop investing in their older employees as they focus on getting new energy.
The article further states that in the past, women were victims of the assumption that their
family lives interfere with their careers. When women left their positions to focus on raising
children, employers assumed that the women were no longer committed to working. According
to Smith and cook (2008), gender stereotyping affects the world even today, and one can see this
even in the motion picture content. The community still depict women as domestic caregivers
whose role lies mainly with the children. As such, when the children grew up, the women
seeking to return to their careers would face challenges getting hired again. The age
discrimination targeting older women further stall their jobs.
The author noted two main reasons for the age discrimination that is affecting women
more than men. First, age discrimination laws do not put much effort to protect women
especially the older ones who may feel the effects of both sex and age discrimination. Secondly,
the author states that age discrimination affects women more than men because age alters the
physical appearance of women more than it does for men.
In the article, the author demonstrates the dominant/minority group differentiation
through identifying the age discrimination that takes place in workplaces between older and
younger employees. The article mentions the stories and reasons as to why women are more
discriminated upon than men because of age. One of the ideas in the above-stated case involves
3
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
the physical changes that occur in women as they get older where they tend to offer a lower
volume of output.
Age discrimination is illegal, but many people face a challenge of proving that they are
victims. The federal law termed as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
protects people who are aged forty years and above from employment discrimination based on
age. The federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against persons because of their
age in the processes of employment, promotions, benefits, compensation, training, assignments,
and also hiring. The most challenging part of age discrimination cases is providing proof that
age is the motivating aspect. The article cites a case Gross v. FBL which was in the Supreme
Court in 2009. Jack Gross lost the case in the Supreme Court because he was not able to prove
that age motivated the demotion that was taking place in the workplace. Accompany can state
other reasons for pushing out or demoting older employees and win the cases. As such,
employees have the burden of proof in court, therefore, are disadvantaged.
Consequently, women are getting pushed out of their workplaces because they cannot
prove the motive of age. They have no option but to take the package offered and leave the
workplace. The current court process can result in severe retaliations between the employee and
the employer which would cause difficulties for the employee when he/she seeks for another
position.
The sociological theory that most appropriately explains links to age discrimination is the
Exploitation theory. Exploitation theory refers to the argument that demonstrates the profits
accruing to organizations as a result of exploiting employees’ wages. A highly paid older
employee may be demoted or pushed out for the organization to hire younger employees who
would most probably settle for lower pay as they try to build their careers. Many organizations
4
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
would like to make a profit from taking away some of the value that employees get for their
work. If an older female employee gets paid a lot by the company for their work, the
organization may seek to push them out and take in younger employees. Exploitation theory may
also apply in cases where women find reentry into the career world after a period of
concentrating on household matters. The employers might pay them less than they deserve citing
age and inexperience.
Another Theory that resonates well with age discrimination is the scapegoat theory
whereby an organization can blame people of particular ages for decreased productivity.
Scapegoat theory refers to the process where someone gets the blame for something they did not
do. Scapegoating occurs due to prejudice against the victim. Scapegoating happens in three
ways; one on one, one to group and group to group. In the case of age discrimination
Scapegoating can affect the older people because some people assume that age incapacitates
everybody in all sectors of life. Although some people face difficulties as they get older
organizations should not use age as a dividing factor.
Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination refer to the examination of the
four personalities that exist within the treatment of minority groups by thoughts words and
actions. There are four categories namely all-weather liberal, fair-weather illiberal, fair-weather
liberal, and all-weather illiberal. In Morton’s typology prejudice refers to the preconceived
irrational thoughts, notions, and attitudes directed towards a particular group of people.
Discrimination under the Merton’s typology refers to the acts of treating people unequally or
unfairly because of their status.
From the analysis of Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination, many
organizations that practice age discrimination is fair weather liberals who use prejudice and
5
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination only when it benefits them. Whenever the discriminatory acts seem expedient,
justifiable and profitable, the organizations practicing age discrimination will gladly apply it. The
hard part is that many of the discrimination acts will affect older women.
According to James et al. (2013) age discrimination related to lower engagement levels
for employees in spite of their age leads to multiple issues in the nation. However, the author
states that for older workers “there is a more negative relationship between unintentional
discrimination and employee engagement,” as opposed to younger people who have a more
negative engagement if the discrimination is intentional. The Authors conducted a study to
explore the relationship between unfair treatment of older workers and employee engagement.
They sampled more than 4500 workers with ages ranging from 18 to 94 in three regions in the
United States of America. The authors identified that the chances of older employees getting
promoted were lower than those of younger people. The discrimination against older people is
either intentional or unintentional. Intentional discrimination arises when an employee is fit for
employment or promotion, and yet they are less likely to get the job. Unintentional bias refers to
the situations where the older people are unfit for the positions, therefore, are less likely to get it.
According to Perron (2018), a study conducted by the AARP revealed that two out of
three employees have experienced or seen age discrimination within the workplace. The
investigation also showed that ninety-one percent of the respondents who participated In the
survey believed that age discrimination Is common in the workplaces. AARP Conducted the
study on 3900 people aged above 45 years who were either employed or seeking employment.
The researchers found that all though many of the American older people worked for financial
reasons, many of them also try to contribute to their careers and gain personal fulfillment. From
the sample group, 16 percent of the participants believed that they received a job they did not
6
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
apply for, twelve percent claimed that the stated had been overlooked during promotions, while 7
percent claimed that they had been fired, laid off or pushed out of their position because of age
discrimination. Among the participant who stated that they thought they would lose their job in
the following year, 33 percent mentioned they felt that the chances were high because of their
age. Seventy-six percent of the respondents stated that they would most likely more than three
months to get another position just because of their age.
Media is one of the leading sources of talks about discrimination and other related
matters. However, the press falls short as it holds conversations about police, stereotyping,
crime, and social injustices (Deggans, 2014). According to Critical Media Project. (n.d.), the
media creates messages about different groups and subjects depending on how they live. The
article ‘Age Discrimination and Women in the Workplace: How to Avoid Getting Pushed Out’
does not seem to be influenced or affected by power, the opinions and data given are authentic.
However, the author might have considered the interests of a particular interest group that stands
for the employment rights of women. The article may affect how corporations discriminate
against women because of their age. The author gives insight into the challenges that face older
women in workplaces thus making corporations and agencies more conscious.
One policy that can help the nation deal with age discrimination in the workplace should
involve clear guidelines on employment for older people. The system should include a required
minimum number of more former age employees that an organization should have at any one
time. The policy should also state clearly the minimum wage that the more former employees
should get and other benefits which they are entitled. The local, state and the federal government
should also identify agencies to implement the set policies.
7
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
8
References
Boone James, J., McKechnie, S., Swanberg, J., & Besen, E. (2013). Exploring the workplace
impact of intentional/unintentional age discrimination. Journal of Managerial
Psychology, 28(7/8), 907-927.
Critical Media Project. (n.d.). Class. Retrieved from
http://criticalmediaproject.org/category/class/
Deggans, E. (2014). Four lessons from the media’s conflicted coverage of the race. Retrieved
from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/12/06/368713550/four-lessons-fromthe-medias-conflicted-coverage-of-race
Marcus, B. (2018). Age discrimination and women in the workplace: How to avoid getting
pushed out. Retrieved January 21, 2019, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2018/05/12/age-discrimination-and-womenin-the-workplace-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-pushed-out/#77fdd3292c4a
Perron, R. (2018) The Value of Experience Study RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/economics/info-2018/multicultural-work-jobs/?cmp=rdrctpri-other-workjobs-052118.html
Smith. S. L., & Cook. C. A. (2008). Gender stereotypes: An analysis of favorite films and TV.
Retrieved from
https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/MDSCI_Gender_Stereotypes_in_Popular_Fil
ms_and_TV.pdf
Running head: THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The Media and Diversity
Nikki Singletary
Cultural Diversity
Capella University
January 2019
1
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
The world is composed of people from different backgrounds, with different cultures,
different ages, among other diverse aspects. The differences in human can lead to discrimination
whereby people get mistreated because of their category. Discrimination refers to the denial of
fair treatment to some people because they belong to a particular group. Discrimination occurs
mostly because of the preconceived perception of a specific individual based on their nationality,
race, religion, age, et cetera. Many researcher and authors have focused on different forms of
discrimination.
In the article Age Discrimination And Women In The Workplace: How To Avoid Getting
Pushed Out written by Bonnie Marcus in the Forbes Magazine, the author focuses on age
discrimination and more so how it affects women. Age discrimination refers to the act of
employers prohibiting certain people from employment based on their age. An employer should
not judge an applicant based on their age. Age discrimination is prevalent in workplaces, and it
mostly affects the older people. Some organizations consider employees as unable to perform as
soon as they click 40 years.
According to Marcus (2018), many organizations do not focus on the track records and
performance of employees as much as they focus on age. The above is the case for many women
especially once they get to 50 years of age. Some women would dedicate so much energy to the
organization and still be left out when the organization seeks to promote employees. The author
states that many organizations consider men like a fine wine which gets better with age and
increases in value. However, women face a constant battle of staying relevant in the industry as
soon as they get to middle age. This difference results in some people being passed over by the
organization when opportunities for promotion arise. In worse cases, the women are
marginalized or pushed out to create room for younger employees. The assumptions made in age
2
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination involve the assumption that older women lack the stamina and momentum that
would keep them productive in their positions. Some organizations also apply the same rule to
men assuming that they are not technically savvy, would like to go slow on their jobs and they
no longer invest in building their career. The author states that usually, the opposite is exact; the
organizations stop investing in their older employees as they focus on getting new energy.
The article further states that in the past, women were victims of the assumption that their
family lives interfere with their careers. When women left their positions to focus on raising
children, employers assumed that the women were no longer committed to working. According
to Smith and cook (2008), gender stereotyping affects the world even today, and one can see this
even in the motion picture content. The community still depict women as domestic caregivers
whose role lies mainly with the children. As such, when the children grew up, the women
seeking to return to their careers would face challenges getting hired again. The age
discrimination targeting older women further stall their jobs.
The author noted two main reasons for the age discrimination that is affecting women
more than men. First, age discrimination laws do not put much effort to protect women
especially the older ones who may feel the effects of both sex and age discrimination. Secondly,
the author states that age discrimination affects women more than men because age alters the
physical appearance of women more than it does for men.
In the article, the author demonstrates the dominant/minority group differentiation
through identifying the age discrimination that takes place in workplaces between older and
younger employees. The article mentions the stories and reasons as to why women are more
discriminated upon than men because of age. One of the ideas in the above-stated case involves
3
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
the physical changes that occur in women as they get older where they tend to offer a lower
volume of output.
Age discrimination is illegal, but many people face a challenge of proving that they are
victims. The federal law termed as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
protects people who are aged forty years and above from employment discrimination based on
age. The federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against persons because of their
age in the processes of employment, promotions, benefits, compensation, training, assignments,
and also hiring. The most challenging part of age discrimination cases is providing proof that
age is the motivating aspect. The article cites a case Gross v. FBL which was in the Supreme
Court in 2009. Jack Gross lost the case in the Supreme Court because he was not able to prove
that age motivated the demotion that was taking place in the workplace. Accompany can state
other reasons for pushing out or demoting older employees and win the cases. As such,
employees have the burden of proof in court, therefore, are disadvantaged.
Consequently, women are getting pushed out of their workplaces because they cannot
prove the motive of age. They have no option but to take the package offered and leave the
workplace. The current court process can result in severe retaliations between the employee and
the employer which would cause difficulties for the employee when he/she seeks for another
position.
The sociological theory that most appropriately explains links to age discrimination is the
Exploitation theory. Exploitation theory refers to the argument that demonstrates the profits
accruing to organizations as a result of exploiting employees’ wages. A highly paid older
employee may be demoted or pushed out for the organization to hire younger employees who
would most probably settle for lower pay as they try to build their careers. Many organizations
4
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
would like to make a profit from taking away some of the value that employees get for their
work. If an older female employee gets paid a lot by the company for their work, the
organization may seek to push them out and take in younger employees. Exploitation theory may
also apply in cases where women find reentry into the career world after a period of
concentrating on household matters. The employers might pay them less than they deserve citing
age and inexperience.
Another Theory that resonates well with age discrimination is the scapegoat theory
whereby an organization can blame people of particular ages for decreased productivity.
Scapegoat theory refers to the process where someone gets the blame for something they did not
do. Scapegoating occurs due to prejudice against the victim. Scapegoating happens in three
ways; one on one, one to group and group to group. In the case of age discrimination
Scapegoating can affect the older people because some people assume that age incapacitates
everybody in all sectors of life. Although some people face difficulties as they get older
organizations should not use age as a dividing factor.
Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination refer to the examination of the
four personalities that exist within the treatment of minority groups by thoughts words and
actions. There are four categories namely all-weather liberal, fair-weather illiberal, fair-weather
liberal, and all-weather illiberal. In Morton’s typology prejudice refers to the preconceived
irrational thoughts, notions, and attitudes directed towards a particular group of people.
Discrimination under the Merton’s typology refers to the acts of treating people unequally or
unfairly because of their status.
From the analysis of Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination, many
organizations that practice age discrimination is fair weather liberals who use prejudice and
5
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
discrimination only when it benefits them. Whenever the discriminatory acts seem expedient,
justifiable and profitable, the organizations practicing age discrimination will gladly apply it. The
hard part is that many of the discrimination acts will affect older women.
According to James et al. (2013) age discrimination related to lower engagement levels
for employees in spite of their age leads to multiple issues in the nation. However, the author
states that for older workers “there is a more negative relationship between unintentional
discrimination and employee engagement,” as opposed to younger people who have a more
negative engagement if the discrimination is intentional. The Authors conducted a study to
explore the relationship between unfair treatment of older workers and employee engagement.
They sampled more than 4500 workers with ages ranging from 18 to 94 in three regions in the
United States of America. The authors identified that the chances of older employees getting
promoted were lower than those of younger people. The discrimination against older people is
either intentional or unintentional. Intentional discrimination arises when an employee is fit for
employment or promotion, and yet they are less likely to get the job. Unintentional bias refers to
the situations where the older people are unfit for the positions, therefore, are less likely to get it.
According to Perron (2018), a study conducted by the AARP revealed that two out of
three employees have experienced or seen age discrimination within the workplace. The
investigation also showed that ninety-one percent of the respondents who participated In the
survey believed that age discrimination Is common in the workplaces. AARP Conducted the
study on 3900 people aged above 45 years who were either employed or seeking employment.
The researchers found that all though many of the American older people worked for financial
reasons, many of them also try to contribute to their careers and gain personal fulfillment. From
the sample group, 16 percent of the participants believed that they received a job they did not
6
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
apply for, twelve percent claimed that the stated had been overlooked during promotions, while 7
percent claimed that they had been fired, laid off or pushed out of their position because of age
discrimination. Among the participant who stated that they thought they would lose their job in
the following year, 33 percent mentioned they felt that the chances were high because of their
age. Seventy-six percent of the respondents stated that they would most likely more than three
months to get another position just because of their age.
Media is one of the leading sources of talks about discrimination and other related
matters. However, the press falls short as it holds conversations about police, stereotyping,
crime, and social injustices (Deggans, 2014). According to Critical Media Project. (n.d.), the
media creates messages about different groups and subjects depending on how they live. The
article ‘Age Discrimination and Women in the Workplace: How to Avoid Getting Pushed Out’
does not seem to be influenced or affected by power, the opinions and data given are authentic.
However, the author might have considered the interests of a particular interest group that stands
for the employment rights of women. The article may affect how corporations discriminate
against women because of their age. The author gives insight into the challenges that face older
women in workplaces thus making corporations and agencies more conscious.
One policy that can help the nation deal with age discrimination in the workplace should
involve clear guidelines on employment for older people. The system should include a required
minimum number of more former age employees that an organization should have at any one
time. The policy should also state clearly the minimum wage that the more former employees
should get and other benefits which they are entitled. The local, state and the federal government
should also identify agencies to implement the set policies.
7
THE MEDIA AND DIVERSITY
8
References
Boone James, J., McKechnie, S., Swanberg, J., & Besen, E. (2013). Exploring the workplace
impact of intentional/unintentional age discrimination. Journal of Managerial
Psychology, 28(7/8), 907-927.
Critical Media Project. (n.d.). Class. Retrieved from
http://criticalmediaproject.org/category/class/
Deggans, E. (2014). Four lessons from the media’s conflicted coverage of the race. Retrieved
from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/12/06/368713550/four-lessons-fromthe-medias-conflicted-coverage-of-race
Marcus, B. (2018). Age discrimination and women in the workplace: How to avoid getting
pushed out. Retrieved January 21, 2019, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2018/05/12/age-discrimination-and-womenin-the-workplace-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-pushed-out/#77fdd3292c4a
Perron, R. (2018) The Value of Experience Study RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/economics/info-2018/multicultural-work-jobs/?cmp=rdrctpri-other-workjobs-052118.html
Smith. S. L., & Cook. C. A. (2008). Gender stereotypes: An analysis of favorite films and TV.
Retrieved from
https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/MDSCI_Gender_Stereotypes_in_Popular_Fil
ms_and_TV.pdf
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