Ageism analyzed and redefined: a critical discourse analysis

In this Major Research Paper, I conducted a critical discourse analysis of articles about ageism and age discrimination published in The Globe and Mail in 2015. The research aimed to locate and examine discourses about ageism and older adults. I located three discourses in these articles. First the articles centered a middle aged, white, and successful subject; secondly, older adults in these articles were both privileged and a burden, and finally, older adults were urged to take initiative to prevent aging. It is my hope that my work points to both the underlying discourses that social workers need to consider to do equitable work with older adults and new ways for them to understand ageism in order to center the needs, experiences, and beliefs of older adults with multiply marginalized identities.