According to a recent post on the blog Fifth Quarter, “Ageism is something most — if not all — twenty-somethings will have to confront as we build our careers.” That’s quite a statement. I don’t want to make light of the isolated incidences of ageism that he describes in his blog, but do they constitute an epidemic of injustices towards an entire generation? I think not. The author does his peers no favors when he tells them that they should expect to be discriminated against because of their age.
What I find problematic about this assumption is that it may cause young professionals to misdiagnose a problem, or an incident, or an attitude. People are quick to jump on the buzzword bandwagon and declare yet another incidence of [pick your crisis]. It’s so much easier than taking the time to clear up a misunderstanding or heaven forbid, taking a good look at your own words and actions to see if they might be at the root of the problem.
For example, there are an abundance of blogs about twenty-somethings’ frustration with the lack of leadership opportunities being handed to them. Is it ageism? Maybe. Or maybe it’s a lack of experience on their part. Or perhaps they don’t possess the qualities that the organization values in a leader. In any case, they’re not likely to find out why they’re being passed over for leadership opportunities if they assume it’s discrimination (after all, they were told to expect it!) and adopt attitudes and actions based on that assumption.
I caution young nonprofit professionals to resist the urge to cry “Ageism!” when their careers don’t move as fast or in the direction they want them to go, or when colleagues don’t treat them the way they think they should be treated. Be open to exploring other causes and be willing to accept that you might be a part of the problem and will certainly need to play a part in the solution.
