Defining the Wires: Age, Disability, and Class 101

I've been struggling with how to most effectively group the remaining 5 major identity variables that make us who we are. I've decided to group together age, disability, and socioeconomic status, as these are core identities that we can often (though not always) visually perceive. Sexual orientation and religious orientation, core identity variables that we usually can't see will make their appearance in the next post.


Age is one of those interesting, fluid identity variables that we experience from numerous perspectives throughout the course of our lives.
Ageism:

• Therefore, is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age-based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination.
• Ageism is predominantly understood as stereotyping of and discrimination against older people--and in many ways, this is how ageism manifests in its most virulent form. 
• However, any system of oppression is the product of prejudice and systemic power, and in the case of age, (in US culture, at least) individuals from the age of about 35-55 experience the most age-related power and privilege.  
• Subsequently, individuals younger than their mid-30s and older than their mid-50s tend to experience the most age-related disempowerment and discrimination (with elders, adolescents, and children bearing the brunt of this)
• Dr. Alison's note: while the physicality and appearance of individuals in their teens and 20s are often valued and coveted by popular culture, in comparison with individuals in their 30s-50s, teens and 20-somethings are often culturally understood as less responsible and less competent, and experience significantly less societal and institutional power. Subsequently, they are included here in the age minority.
• Like any form of oppression, ageism can be conscious and/or unconscious

An everyday manifestation of ageism is
Ageist privilege:

• Or the numerous unearned benefits that many societies and cultures award to people in their 30s through 50s. 
• Some of these privileges include:
• Representation of their age group in popular media
• Others' assumption of their intellectual (applicable to younger and older ends of the spectrum) and technological (applicable predominantly to the older end of the spectrum) competence
• Others' assumption of sexuality as an integral part of their life
• The absence of concern about elder or child abuse
• And much, much more

Next up is disability. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a

Disability:

• Is any physiological or mental impairment that significantly limits one or more major life activities. 
• LOTS of things fall under this category, including 
• Physical and orthopedic disabilities, like limb differences, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spina bifida, dwarfism and more
• Neurological disabilities, like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), migraines, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS), and more
• Psychological disabilities, like major depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more
• As well as intellectual disabilities, like learning disorders, cognitive impairment, dementias, and more
• Just to name a few.
  

 Disability is sometimes apparent to others upon first glance--this is called a

Visible disability.

• Common visible disabilities are often, though not always, physical or orthopedic, such as cerebral palsy, dwarfism, spina bifida, visual impairment, etc.  
  

In contrast, some disabilities are not apparent to others upon first glance. This kind of disability is called an


Invisible disability: 

• Common invisible disabilities include neurological, psychological, and intellectual disabilities, such as ADHD, MS, major depression, cognitive impairment, etc. 

The current climate of most world cultures is not particularly disability-friendly or affirming, and is characterized by

Ableism:

• Or the prejudicial set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to discriminate against and subordinate people with disabilities.
• Medical and moral models of disability significantly inform ableism, and propound that typically able-bodied people are the norm, and that disability is "bad"--an error, mistake, or failing.
• Like any form of oppression, ableism can be conscious and/or unconscious.

Able-bodied privilege:

• Therefore, refers to the numerous unearned benefits—some hidden, many not—that most societies and cultures accord to able-bodied people. 
• Some of these privileges include:
• Being treated as an adult after reaching adulthood
• Being perceived as capable of obtaining and maintaining gainful employment
• Being perceived as competent--at anything
• Being perceived as a sexual being 
• Being perceived as a human being
• And much, much more
• See more examples of able-bodied privilege, or the invisible crutch, here and here. 
 

Finally, 

Socioeconomic status (SES), or class:

• Is the social standing of an individual or group, often resulting from the juxtaposition of that individual or group's education, income and occupation.
• Definitions of specific socioeconomic statuses vary widely, and the criteria for each status may be different based upon geographic locale and regional cost of living
• However, some of the more commonly used terms to describe SES are:
• Lower or working class: 
• often characterized by not having enough resources to meet one's own or one's family's daily needs
• Middle class: 
• often characterized by having enough resources to meet one's own or one's family's daily needs
• Upper class: 
• often characterized by having more than enough resources to meet one's own or one's family's daily needs

• When we think of SES or class, we commonly think of the economic differences between classes
• However, higher SESes are characterized by
• Access to better education
• More access to healthcare
• More competitive and desirable employment networking opportunities
• Resources to purchase healthy food
• Access to healthy food
• Longer lifespan
• And much, much more

• While lower SESes are characterized by the absence of the above

Attitudes and beliefs that value those with higher SESes and devalue those with lower SESes fuel a form of oppression called

Classism:

• Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups (e.g. working class, lower-middle class) to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups (e.g., middle class, upper class, etc.). 
• Classism is also the systematic assignment of characteristics such as worth and ability based on social class.
• Prejudicial beliefs and cultural attitudes that rank people's worth based upon their economic status, job status, level of education, family lineage,etc. are informed by classism, and serve to nourish and maintain this form of oppression.
• Like any form of oppression, classism can be conscious and/or unconscious.

Conscious kitty classism.

Class privilege

• Therefore, refers to the numerous unearned benefits—some hidden, many not—that many societies and cultures award to the middle and above socioeconomic statuses. 
• Some of these privileges include:
• Access to good public education
• Resources to access healthcare
• Access to and resources to prepare healthy food
• Multidimensional, non-stereotypical representation of one's social class in popular media
• Access to safe, reliable transportation
• And much, much more