Ageism and its implications from the perspective of older public servants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8077.2025.e99109Keywords:
Ageism, Aging, University Management, Public AdministrationAbstract
Objective: This article aims to understand the perceptions of ageism among older public servants at a Higher Education Institution. From the perspective of social constructionism, the research seeks to explore the way in which ageism is revealed in the practice of older workers in the context of Brazilian public administration. Method: The qualitative research involved semi-structured interviews with 16 public servants aged 45 or over. For data analysis, thematic analysis of narratives and biographies was adopted. Results: The analysis of the narratives revealed that ageism is commonly a silenced, denied and misunderstood phenomenon. However, some narratives indicated hostile and benevolent ageism. In these cases, ageism was articulated with the specter of uselessness and obsolescence, invisibility and downward mobility in the career ladder and symbolic dismissal or retirement. Furthermore, ageism interacts with sexism, racism and prejudice against the working classes. This interaction is especially disadvantageous for older women. In order to avoid ageism in the organizational environment, older public servants commonly seek to remain proactive, productive, experienced, qualified and updated. Contributions: The results point to the need for organizations to adapt to the aging workforce, as well as highlighting the need for people management policies aimed at older public servants with the aim of preventing and combating the negative effects of ageism in organizations.
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