1. I’m sure I have been treated unfairly but the situations that keep arising for this topic is when I worked in home healthcare/nursing homes. Working with older generations especially during the declining of their health proves challenging in it’s own ways. However I have experienced ageism while working with individuals of the older population. Often times I would witness patients being ignored of their needs as if it didn’t matter to some as they would be “passing soon anyways”. That was absolutely disgusting behavior and attitudes that I couldn’t sit back and continue watching. Societal norms have shaped beliefs and attitudes to what it is. Caring for older generations is pushed off onto other people because they don’t want the burden of caring for that individual. They are valued less as families and it is worrisome. I often think about when I am old how will I be treated. I see people being rude about older indivudals moving slowly and often pass them aggressively.
Ageism is the most prevalent form of prejudice and can be experienced by all generations. Prejudice, discrimination, and racism, and sexism are major causes of social learning and development. Based upon fear it is an endless cycle of systematic sterotyping. Social exclusion , marganilization, and invisibility of these individuals leave them being treated unfairly. In the video provided in this unit, it talked about Korean culture feeling guilty if they did not care for their parents that it was their responsibility but in America the system takes over with care givers.
2.
I work at a residential home for boys. It is a working ranch and requires heavy lifting, heavy machinery, and tools. I have been told that I cannot put out hay for the livestock I care for because I am female. For a year before I hired a ranch hand, I put the hay out using a John Deere Tractor. It is difficult to wait on the other person (who is male) to incorporate my animal’s needs into his schedule. He puts the bare minimum amount out because of his schedule. I have voiced my concerns often to our Director, and I do not get anywhere near a resolution. Seeing as I am competent with the use of the tractor, I have the time to put out the hay, and I put out the right amount of hay to keep the horses fit, it only seems fitting that I can perform this task. My Director does not think this appropriate for a woman to do this chore and has expressed that it is not appropriate. “Gender socialization continues as women and men complete their training or education and join the workforce. Men and women are taught the “appropriate” type of conduct for persons of their sex in a particular job or occupation—both by employers and by coworkers.” (Kendall, 2017). The Equine industry is predominantly female, yet we are held back from everyday tasks because we are female.
3. The time that I was treated unfairly is when I worked for Kindercare, when I applied for a lead teacher. I told them I had Autism and it wouldn’t get in the way of my work and that I would give it my all which I did. Then they took advantage of me, always asking me like an hour before when someone called in if I could come in. Because I was nice I said yes, then some of the other teachers were sitting on their phones and wouldn’t listen to me about some of the kids that I knew and also wanted me to clean up poop and change my children that I had and was moved that class because they didn’t like changing the poop diapers. Like that was part of the job description if you couldn’t handle it why did you apply for the job anyway. They didn’t even pay me well they paid me like $14 an hour. Then they forgot to give me breaks also, technically I could have sued them but didn’t have the money for that. Yeah it was not fair that they put all responsibilty on me, and then fired people and didn’t talk to other people and treated other people like dirt also and didnt care about the kids.
