ERIC Number: EJ1117529
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Nov
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0826-4805
EISSN: N/A
Ageism against Older U.S. College Students: A View from Social Closure Theory
Simi, Demi; Matusitz, Jonathan
Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education, v47 n4 p391-408 Nov 2016
This paper examines ageism among older students in U.S. higher education. Ageism involves any uncalled-for reaction to any age and does not require racism and sexism to exist. Social closure theory is the research framework used in this analysis. The theory posits that specific parties (i.e., in-groups) gain benefits by closing off favorable circumstances to others (i.e., out-groups). Adult undergraduates have encountered a vast amount of neglect in terms of their learning interests and styles. Universities attempt to fulfill the needs of adult learners, but a certain number of them "close off" those adult students when it comes to public policies and objectives, making them more invisible. An important conclusion of this analysis is that drug policies and social restrictions can represent a burden for certain groups, like African American male ex-prisoners, who want to go to college. This is why it is vital for college staff to find and create more options for effectively engaging older students in the college environment.
Descriptors: Adult Students, Age Discrimination, Undergraduate Students, Adult Learning, Student Needs, Educational Policy, School Policy, Social Theories, Barriers, Access to Education, African American Students, Males, Institutionalized Persons, Nontraditional Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A