Are the Aged a Minority Group?*

The aged resemble minority groups in three ways, i.e., they suffer from prejudice, discrimination, and deprivation, and they have little sense of group identity or political unity.

Abstract

The aged resemble minority groups in three ways, i.e. they suffer from prejudice, discrimination, and deprivation. On the other hand, they are not born into their age group, and they have little sense of group identity or political unity. The most descriptive term would seem to be "quasi-minority group." However, the aged are becoming less and less like minority groups as society seems to be moving toward an "age-irrelevant" era.