MWT UNIT 6 part 3

• Sexism


  The belief that one sex is superior to the other
• Sexism


  • Manifests as prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory actions against females
  • Gives gender privilege to men
  • Makes assumptions about the capabilities of men and women solely on the basis of gender, without considering individual characteristics
• Sexism dominates all aspects of society, including the family, the social, economic, political, welfare, and religious structures
• Gender socialisation


  How parents teach their children from infancy how to behave as males or females
• Gender socialisation shapes how we perceive our roles and define our self-identity
• Gender socialisation prescribes "gender-appropriate" choices for men and women
• Sexism


  • Favours men, masculine traits and behaviour
  • Gives power and authority to men and relegates women to a second-class status
  • Devalues women, discriminates against them economically, and discourages their full participation in society
• Discrimination based on sex, race and class affects minority groups and poor women the most
• Feminisation of poverty


  Defines how women and children are mostly impacted by poverty
• Ageism


  Prejudicial attitudes towards older or younger people
• Ageism directed at the older generation

  • Reduces their ability to contribute to society
  • Creates stereotyping attitudes that assume that because of their age, all older or younger people are alike
  • Irrespective of their age group, all people are heterogeneous
• Exalting youthfulness, equating aging with death, and segregating people by age thereby limiting contact between the generations all contribute to ageism
• Another misconception suggests that "senility" is a part of aging, and associates declines in intellect, memory, and problem solving with aging
• Although some older individuals experience mental deterioration, this is due to their poor health not age
• Labelling some "senile" makes us fail to recognise their potential and abilities
• If social workers believe the misconception that "old people are senile," they may not believe that older adults are worth their effort
• When professionals view older adults as people who have already developed rather than people who are developing, they are unlikely to invest their time and effort in dealing with the problems of older adults
• Gerontology


  The study of aging and older adults, one of the fields of social work
• The prevailing attitude toward aging determines what is or is not done to address the issue of aging
• Age-related issues present a challenge to all of society and raise significant questions about social justice
• Handicapism


  The prejudice and discrimination directed against people who have intellectual or other disabilities
• Ableism


  Accords preferential status to those persons who do not have a disability
• Impairments


  Physical afflictions, limitations, or losses in any body structure or function
• Disabilities


  The consequences of impairments that restrict people from doing activities that people without impairments can do
• Handicaps


  The social disadvantages that result from impairments or disabilities
• People often regard those with disabilities as "different" and unable to perform as well as the "able bodied"
• Having a disability does not mean that one is disabled in every way
• There is a false belief that those with physical disabilities are mentally incompetent or socially immature
• People sometimes regard those who have intellectual disabilities as having no feelings, interests, or ideas
• Handicapism can also manifest when people make fun of people with disabilities, leading to social isolation and marginalism
• Disability is influenced by the interactions between people and their environments. Disabling environments prevent people with disabilities from participating in society
• Barriers in architecture and transportation impose serious limitations on people with disabilities
• Although laws guarantee people with disabilities protection from discrimination, prejudicial attitudes and building-design limitations limit their access to education and employment opportunities
• The underemployment or undereducation of persons with disabilities does not reflect their unwillingness to work or study but the disabling nature of their social, economic, and political environments
• Some people view people with visible disabilities as objects of their pity
• Research does not support the belief that disability is central to the self-concept of people living with disabilities
• Having a disability is not synonymous with needing help or social support