AGEISM

COGNITIVE, LINGUISTIC, AND SOCIAL IMPACTS ON INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE LIFE IMPACTS ON OLDER ADULTS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Ageism constitutes a form of discrimination structured around age and profoundly affects the lives of older adults, impacting their health, social participation, 
workforce inclusion, autonomy, and their ability to construct and sustain self-narratives.  The aim of this article is to analyze the individual and collective impacts of ageism in Brazil, with emphasis on the cognitive, linguistic, social, legal, and political dimensions, 
articulating contributions from the fields of cognition and language, social gerontology, developmental psychology, law, and public policy. The study is justified by the rapid aging of the Brazilian population and the persistence of institutional, cultural, and discursive practices that render aging invisible or reduce it to incapacity. Methodologically, this qualitative study is based on bibliographic and documentary 
research, grounded in a critical narrative review of official documents, legislation, international reports, and academic articles indexed in scientific databases. The results indicate that ageism operates as a symbolic and material mechanism of exclusion, manifested through stereotypes, prejudices, and discriminatory practices that affect access to work, healthcare, care services, intergenerational interaction, and digital technologies, 
in addition to compromising language processes, social recognition, and subjective agency. It is concluded that addressing ageism requires intersectoral policies, 
intergenerational education, the reorganization of long-term care institutions, digital inclusion, and a cultural shift oriented toward dignity, the plurality of aging experiences, and the active participation of older adults in social life.