Attitudes toward aging portrayed by birthday cards

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Psychology
• Cultural Studies

Background:

• Societal attitudes towards aging significantly influence intergenerational dynamics and individual well-being.
• Previous research indicates negative portrayals of older adults in humor, such as joke anthologies.
• Understanding contemporary perceptions of the aged is crucial for addressing ageism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze contemporary attitudes toward the aged as depicted in birthday greeting cards.
• To categorize these attitudes thematically and compare them with existing research on age-related humor.
• To explore the psychological functions of age-related humor, considering defense mechanisms and adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of birthday greeting cards, categorized into six thematic groups.
• Qualitative assessment of the sentiment and themes expressed in the card messages and imagery.
• Comparative analysis with findings from studies on attitudes in joke anthologies.

Main Results:

• The analysis revealed predominantly negative attitudes toward the aged within the examined birthday cards.
• These negative attitudes were consistent across various thematic categories, reinforcing prior research findings.
• The prevalence of negative humor suggests a potential underlying societal discomfort with aging.

Conclusions:

• Birthday greeting cards, like joke anthologies, often perpetuate negative stereotypes about aging.
• The use of humor regarding aging may function as a defense mechanism against personal age anxiety.
• Alternatively, such humor could represent a societal adaptation to the realities and challenges of growing older.