THE PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES OF ADULTS IN THE PRE-ELDERLY PERIOD ON AGEISM

Age discrimination refers to negative perceptions and attitudes based only on a person's age, ignoring other factors. Within the scope of the research, it is aimed to determine the age and age discrimination attitudes of individuals before old age based on different variables. In this context, the study was conducted with individuals aged 45-60 residing in the Tosya district of Kastamonu province. In order to determine ageism attitudes and to address them based on different variables, the questionnaire form with socio-demographic characteristics and the "Ageism Attitude Scale" (AAS) were used in the study. Within the scope of the research, the data were obtained from 371 individuals between the ages of 45-60 residing in the Tosya district of Kastamonu province in January 2021. T-test and One-Way Variance test were used in the statistical analysis of the data. The mean total score of AAS was 79.95±10.28, and the participants' attitudes towards the elderly were positive. It was determined that the total scores of the ageism scale of the participants differed according to their education, profession and income levels. The results obtained are similar to other studies in the literature, which shows us that Turkey's patriarchal and traditional structure continues to exist effectively.

Keywords

Old Age, Elderly, Ageism,Exclusion, Attitude