Probst and associates (2004) studied the health effects of race and ethnicity when the population lives in a rural area. They
provide a wonderful set of data in their work. Their summary, of course, is that minority persons living in the rural areas
of the country are doubly disadvantaged and that most government programs do not see them as anything different that the larger
white population.
It must also be noted that most of the “poor white trash” are in a
similar situation of having a lack of needed services. Many of these individuals are aged since most of their children moved
to the urban areas for education and a better life style. However, Lee and associates (1994) found that the rural elderly
have higher filial expectations for care than found in urban elderly. The most likely outcome is that rural elderly will leave
for the city to live with their children when they can no longer take care of themselves.
Having taught college diversity classes for a number of years now, this author
is delighted when a formerly prejudice student begins to give way and let go of some of their stereotypes. At that point,
the class begins to be more enjoyable for the student as they research diverse groups. They begin to see people in place of
myths.
Besides the diversity found in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, body shapes, sizes, and health and disability, age is
one important factor for students to learn to accept. Since this society gives great value to youth, learning about the aging
process is often met with some reluctance. Without a good foundation in the many areas of aging, a student may decide that
it is “all down hill” and older people are not worth working with.
Part of the problem is that there are no clearly defined rules in our society
for the inter-relationship
between generations. However, we share one thing; independence appears to be very important for all people no matter their age. This includes personal lives, public lives, and the workplace. Younger people may have difficulty working with and especially
with managing workers who are much older than themselves.
As an example of this lack of societal pattern towards the older adults, consider
this 600-year-old
story from Europe (author unknown, dates back to Medieval Europe):
A lonely widower struck a bargain with his son that
he would be taken care of in his old age in return for
turning over his property to the son while he yet lived.
Later on, when the father became quite invalid, the
daughter-in-law nagged her husband to
move the old
man to the barn. The son, ashamed to do it himself,
required the grandson to take the old man to the barn
and
wrap him with a horse blanket. The
grandson
tearfully obeyed
his dad, only tore the horse blanket
and wrapped the old man
in only half of it. When the
dad
found out, he was angry: "How could you be so
cruel as
to leave your grandfather in the barn to
freeze with only half a blanket?" The son replied:
"Father, I feel obligated to save the other half for you."
With the apparent lack of cultural and intergenerational norms, other than independence, the manager of the future will need
to treat each worker as an individual rather than use pat answers or stereotypes. This
is, in fact, the best way to deal with diversity anyway, according to Carr-Ruffino (2003). Getting to understand and respect
each employee for what they can contribute to the workplace is an important part of management today.
Steinhauser (1999) cautioned employers that the older workers will be required
in the workplace well into the 21st century and that law suits await employers who believe that they can keep the
older employee out. He warns that companies must come to an understanding and a commitment against age bias. They may be able
to halt or slow down ageism through workplace education; offering age diversity workshops and training programs. It is important
for employers to commit “to the value of lifelong learning,” keeping a continuous worker training in diversity
issues.
In managing a diverse and older workforce of the 21st century, leadership
will need to understand personal issues that can not simply be mandated by law. Workers, who need employment yet are facing
many personal struggles from age related discomforts, will not be highly productive if they are depressed. To help the manager
understand how to counsel such employees, the Appendix has Rubin's "psycho philosophy"
as given in “Retirement Counseling: A Practical Guide for Action,”
by H.C. Riker & J. E. Myers, (1992). This author has used these ideas successfully in classes and with individuals for
over a dozen years.
Beyond the noticeable changes in demeanor and the increase
in quality of the students’ work,. a means of measuring the effectiveness of teaching diversity may be found in Rayle
and Myers (2004) work. Although they studied adolescents and wellness, they did use the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure
(MEIM) which would also be useful when studying the older adult population. They also used the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation
Scale (SMAS) which would be effective with minority elder studies.
These could also be used as a “before” and “after” look at the students’ understanding during
the semester. It would be great to be able to measure a change in their life based upon their new understanding of diversity,
but that is not practical at this time.
