Ageism is a set of beliefs and attitudes which portrays older people in a negative, stereotypical manner,
reinforcing the fear of ageing (Hughes, 1995). It combines with globalization to stigmatize older people as
bigoted, rigid and backward-looking (Glover, 2001). Bytheway (1995) believes ageism to be pernicious,
leading to discrimination based on chronological age. Although the focus of much British government
intervention regarding age discrimination has been on the over fifty age group, age discrimination can
affect people of all ages and now affects individuals in their thirties and forties (Wersley, 1996). Ageism
sets older people apart as being different in a generalised and oversimplified way and is a set of social
relations which is used to discriminate against older people (Minichiello, Browne and Kendig, 2000).
A model which helps explain the link between ageism and discrimination is given in Figure 1. From this
model it is evident that ageism and discrimination are complex phenomena which are affected by a range
of environmental factors and result in stereotyped views of older people. At the policy level, supranational
institutions, such as the European Union, can initiate policy to address age discrimination, as well as
national governments. Professional industry-bodies, such as the British Hospitality Association, can also
play a role in shaping policy, as can the firm or organisation itself. Personal values may be shaped by a
range of factors including gender, class, educational background and religion, as will the experiences of