Name: Liam Mackenzie
Social Justice Group: The Rights of the Elderly
Date of Fieldwork: December 19, 2017
Name of Organization:
Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Dr. Deborah Heiser (Clinical Psychologist that Specializes in Aging and the Elderly)
Type of Fieldwork: Interview
What I did:
For our fifth fieldwork, Ben and I had an online meeting with Deborah Heiser. Throughout the meeting, Deborah, a clinical psychologist that specializes in aging, helped us understand the process of aging. Deborah started off the meeting by asking us what “old” is. When I answered 65, and ben answered 60, she told us that she thought “old” was 80. She then explained that everyone thinks of “old” as a different age. A three year old might think 45 is old, while a 10 year old might think 13 is old. No Matter what, we all think of aging in a different way. She then went on to explain how growing old really works. She drew a graph, showing the mental state of a senior versus the physical state. The graph started at birth, with the physical and mental state both at zero. Both of these progressed about equally until age 65. At 65 the physical state started to drop, but the mental state still progressed. She explained to us that while society might think of seniors as “weak” or “inferior” beings, their mental state is stronger than ever, and their wisdom is actually profound.
What I learned:
From our meeting with Deborah Heiser, I learned that shame plays a big component in aging. The media has set this example for “correct” aging is, and how to do it “right.” Advertisements, the news, Tv, and movies have taught most people from a very young age that aging “right” means botox, implants, and makeup (for women). This has put pressure on everybody to age “right,” causing them to spend money and time on perfecting their old age. Deborah explained how this is unhealthy because it forces seniors to self-deprecate. Before this, I had only heard about self deprecation as something tied in to young women body shaming. But after hearing Deborah, I learned that self-deprecation is extremely prevalent among elders.
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
After our conversation we were stunned, impressed, and informed my Deborah’s knowledge. While I do think it is extremely important to take a stand and take direct action, Deborah taught us that taking action is not always about physically standing up and protesting. Sometimes taking a stand is about learning from people like Deborah, and with that information informing more people. Our conversation with Deborah inspired me to inform my peers, teachers, and parents about the racism and restrictions elderly face everyday. Once I keep these people informed, they can take action for themselves, fighting for justice on a larger scale. Deborah helped our group understand this, and she has proved to us that informing is just as important as taking direct action!
