Combatting ageism in the Western Pacific region

The present viewpoint examines the manifestation of ageism, defined as stereotypes, prejudice and discrimina-tion towards people because of their age, in the Western Pacific region. Research is still equivocal concerning the nature of ageism in the Western Pacific region, especially in East and South-East Asia (e.g., Eastern coun-tries). There has been plenty of research to support as well as question the general notion of Eastern cultures and countries as being less ageist compared to Western cultures and countries at individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels. Although varied theoretical explanations have aimed to explain East-West differences in age -ism such as the modernization theory, the pace of population aging, the proportion of older people in the coun-try, cultural hypothesis, and GATEism, none of these theories fully accounts for the mixed findings. As such, it is safe to conclude that targeting ageism should be an important step in ensuring a world for all ages in Western Pacific countries.Copyright & COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Automated summary

This article examines the manifestation of ageism in the Western Pacific region, including stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination based on age. The nature of ageism in this region, particularly in East and Southeast Asia, remains uncertain. Various theories have been proposed to explain the East-West differences in ageism, but none of them fully account for the mixed findings. Therefore, addressing ageism is an important step towards creating a world for all ages in Western Pacific countries.