Title

Ageism Against Older U.S. College Students: A View From Social Closure Theory

Keywords

Adult learners; Ageism; Higher education; Social closure theory; United States

Abstract

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.

Publication Date

11-1-2016

Publication Title

Interchange

Volume

47

Issue

4

Number of Pages

391-408

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-016-9286-6

Socpus ID

84978891301 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84978891301

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