Research Paper on:
The 1990s and Ageism

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
word in the lexicon and a new concern for aging workers everywhere: ageism. While the word properly refers to discrimination in any form against individuals from a specific age group,  and can apply to discrimination and stereotyping against the young, it is used almost exclusively in a work setting to describe unfair practices aimed at those over a certain age,  usually 40 or 50 (Mountaingrove, 1993). The practice has been banned by a number of federal regulations, and widely condemned by social activists, and to a certain extent this has  served to reverse the trend in the United States. Yet it still remains a significant problem and presents a troubling prospect to many employed in U.S. industry. It all started  in the late 1970s, when the youth mania of the Baby Boom generation combined with the stringent downsizing of the 80s to produce a new phenomenon. Aging workers, middle management,  and even executives at corporations found their jobs in jeopardy. It was a particular shock to those over 50 who had chided the hippies and the youth radicals for being  unable to defer gratification. Put in your time, they said, take your licks, pay your dues in low-paying jobs, work hard and you will be rewarded in the end with  a good salary, job security and a life of leisure. Now, they found that their companies, when faced with the necessity for trimming costs, were eyeing them and their positions  hungrily (Reingold, 1999). Part of it was simple mathematics. A company could hire two, three, or even four entry-level workers for the amount they were paying for one 20- or  25-year employee (Reingold, 1999). These employees had accrued a vast amount of benefits, sick days, paid leave, paid holidays, bonuses and pension. Then there was the sociological factor. In the