United States 1967

Synopsis

The civil rights movement of the 1960s brought about numerous social changes that transformed America. Government officials began to address the important issue of discrimination in the workplace, focusing their attention on race and gender. During this time, however, two other social groups also gained attention—the middle-aged and elderly. Until that time, age discrimination had never been considered a serious issue. Advances in medical technology had begun to extend the average life expectancy and as a result caused a dramatic shift in America's demographics. With more elderly remaining in the workforce, cases of age discrimination were also on the rise. Indeed, positive policies such as the Social Security Act had inadvertently affected the elderly in a negative way, making it disadvantageous to remain in the workforce. Also, middle-aged employees found themselves losing out to their younger...