Ageism in U.S. Higher Education: A Perspective from Social Closure Theory

This paper examines the effects of ageism on older college faculty in U.S. higher education. Ageism is one of the most socially-accepted types of prejudice; it is a way of stereotyping and discriminating individuals exclusively based on their age group. Social closure theory is the theoretical framework used in this analysis. By and large, the theory rests on the premise that people in their own groups seek to make the most of benefits by limiting access and freedoms to out-group members. Also examined in this analysis are older college faculty from diverse groups: women, African Americans, Latinos, non-traditional graduates, and homosexuals. An important conclusion is that, although science has been viewed as a domain for the young, little evidence exists about the correlation between age and productivity among faculty in U.S. higher education. Therefore, engaging in social closure is not necessary at U.S. colleges and universities.