Ingmar Skoog appointed to new Government council on ageism

The council will bring together expertise, research, and other relevant stakeholders to increase knowledge about ageism, highlight the problems, and contribute to concrete changes in the workplace and society at large. According to the Government’s press release, the aim is to counteract the attitudes, structures, and barriers that limit older people in the workforce and in society more broadly.

For Ingmar Skoog, the assignment is closely linked to the research on aging that has been conducted for many years at the University of Gothenburg, not least through the H70 studies. These studies have followed the health of older people over time and shown how aging has changed across generations.

“A 70-year-old today can, in many respects, resemble a 50-year-old from an earlier generation. This means we need to rethink many of our assumptions about age, the workplace, and what people can contribute,” says Ingmar Skoog.

Identifying ageism

The council has just held its first meeting, chaired by Minister for Older People and Social Security Anna Tenje. One important task for the council will be to identify both direct and indirect ageism in state, regional, and municipal organizations, as well as in the workplace more broadly. This may involve formal rules, established routines, or informal attitudes that prevent older employees’ skills and experience from being fully used.

Ingmar Skoog believes that age is still often used as a shortcut in judgment, even when there are no objective reasons for doing so. For example, people may be expected to leave the workforce at a certain age, even though they both want to and are able to continue contributing.

“There is an institutional ageism that we need to recognize. The state and universities often talk about the need for more people to work longer, but at the same time there are routines that phase out senior employees in a fairly standardized way. That means society risks losing a great deal of competence,” says Ingmar Skoog.

A personal issue

He also mentions academic merit systems, research grants, and doctoral supervision as areas where age can matter, directly or indirectly. One example is that senior researchers in some contexts cannot serve as principal supervisors for doctoral students, even when they are, in practice, the researcher the doctoral student sought out.

The issue is also personal. Ingmar Skoog is 72 and says he has noticed how he is treated differently with age. This can range from comments about when he plans to retire to everyday situations in which younger people assume that older people cannot manage technology or practical tasks.

“When you reach my age, you notice ageism more clearly. People assume that you cannot manage things, such as using self-checkout in a store. Often it is well meant, but it is still based on an idea of what older people can and cannot do,” says Ingmar Skoog.

An important public discussion

He sees the new council as a sign that the issue is being taken more seriously. The council initially consists of nine people, including researchers, business leaders, and media profiles, and the Government has announced that more participants may be appointed in the future.

For Ingmar Skoog, it is also important that universities and researchers take part in the public discussion.

“It is part of the university’s mission to contribute knowledge to society. As researchers, we have data and experience that can help change the image of aging. This is about laws and regulations, but also about removing prejudice,” says Ingmar Skoog.