General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why is ageism suddenly all the rage on DU? [View all]BainsBane
(53,032 posts)and efforts to silence and expel posters whose life experiences and hence political views vary from the majority demographic on the site. Since that demographic is older and whiter than the population at large, that is part of what is at play, but it really isn't about age per se. It's about a reactionary view of the world that rejects the concerns of those who are not middle-class, white, and focused on a narrowly proscribed view of politics. We may tend to think of that view as old because it is reactionary, but young people can also be reactionary. I know that when I myself use the term old, I am generally thinking in terms of antiquated views rather than chronological age.
The age issue, I believe, has some influence in that anyone who has had any higher education in the liberal arts in the past quarter century has been exposed to thinking about race, class, and gender. They may also have grown up in a more diverse environment and K-12 educational system, which may lead to less resistance to difference. There are young people who have had no such exposure, and there are older people who are willing to listen and consider the voices of the subaltern. However, the likelihood of being exposed to such ideas is greater if they have been educated in recent decades.