Topic: Age-based discrimination across the life course
Suitable for: Cambridge OCR A Level Sociology – Understanding Social Inequalities
Assessment focus: AO1, AO2, AO3
Overview
This activity helps students identify how age inequality and age-based discrimination can affect people at different points in the life course. Students place examples of discrimination onto a blank timeline, then explain patterns and evaluate why age inequality is not experienced equally by all age groups.
The activity is useful because it encourages students to think sociologically about how age shapes life chances, access to opportunities and social treatment in areas such as employment, education, health, housing, the media, family life and public space.
Learning objectives
Students should be able to:
- define age discrimination
- identify age-based inequalities across different stages of life
- apply examples to the life course
- explain how age affects life chances
- evaluate whether some age groups face more discrimination than others
Key concepts
- Age
- Ageism
- Age discrimination
- Life course
- Stereotyping
- Prejudice
- Inequality
- Life chances
- Dependency
- Retirement
- Youth marginalisation
Main activity instructions
Life Course Discrimination Timeline
Students work in pairs or small groups.
They are given:
- a blank life course timeline
- a set of age discrimination scenario cards
- a summary grid
Their task is to:
- place each card on the part of the timeline where that form of discrimination is most likely to occur
- explain why that age group is vulnerable to that form of discrimination
- identify the institution or setting involved, for example school, workplace, family, healthcare or the media
- decide whether the discrimination is:
- direct
- indirect
- stereotyping
- structural inequality
After completing the timeline, students answer a judgement question:
“At which stage of the life course is age discrimination most damaging to life chances?”
Blank life course timeline
You can copy this straight into a worksheet or download a PDF copy.
Student worksheet: Blank Life Course Timeline
Task 1: Place each discrimination card onto the timeline
Write the card title in the age band where you think it most commonly applies.
| Life stage | Approximate age | Forms of age discrimination |
|---|---|---|
| Early childhood | 0–4 | |
| Primary years | 5–11 | |
| Teen years | 12–17 | |
| Young adulthood | 18–24 | |
| Early working adulthood | 25–39 | |
| Mid-life | 40–59 | |
| Early older age | 60–74 | |
| Later life | 75+ |
Task 2: For each one, add notes
For each example, explain:
- What is happening?
- Why is this age group affected?
- What stereotype may be behind it?
- How might it affect life chances?
Age discrimination scenario cards
Cut these out and give one set to each group.
Card 1: “Too young to be taken seriously”
A 19-year-old employee has good ideas in meetings, but older colleagues dismiss them as inexperienced and immature.
Likely life stage: Young adulthood
Card 2: Excluded from jobs because of age
A 58-year-old applicant is overlooked for a new role because the employer wants someone “more energetic” and “a better fit for the future”.
Likely life stage: Mid-life / early older age
Card 3: Stereotyped as troublesome
Teenagers in hoodies are asked to leave a shopping centre because security staff assume they are likely to cause trouble.
Likely life stage: Teen years
Card 4: Paid less because they are young
A young worker is legally paid less because of age-related minimum wage rates, even though they do similar work to older staff.
Likely life stage: 18–24
Card 5: Refused private housing
A landlord is reluctant to rent to students or young adults because they are seen as unreliable and irresponsible.
Likely life stage: 18–24
Card 6: Digital exclusion in later life
An older person struggles to access services because appointments, banking and benefits systems are increasingly online.
Likely life stage: 60+
Card 7: “Too old to train”
A worker in their early sixties is not offered training because management assume it is not worth investing in them before retirement.
Likely life stage: 60–74
Card 8: Young people ignored in politics
Young people are often described as politically apathetic, so their interests are taken less seriously by decision-makers.
Likely life stage: Teen years / young adulthood
Card 9: Mandatory retirement expectations
Even where formal retirement rules are weaker, some workers feel pushed out because colleagues assume they should step aside for younger staff.
Likely life stage: 60–74
Card 10: Age restrictions and distrust
A teenager is constantly followed by shop staff who assume they are more likely to steal.
Likely life stage: 12–17
Card 11: Health concerns dismissed as “just old age”
An older patient reports pain, but it is not taken as seriously because health professionals assume deterioration is simply part of ageing.
Likely life stage: 75+
Card 12: Pressure to “grow up”
A young adult is criticised for still living at home, even though housing costs make independent living difficult.
Likely life stage: 18–24
Card 13: Workplace beauty and age expectations
A woman in her fifties feels disadvantaged at work because her employer values youthful appearance and presentation.
Likely life stage: 40–59 / 60–74
Card 14: Young children seen as incapable
Adults dismiss children’s opinions in family or school decisions because they assume children cannot contribute meaningfully.
Likely life stage: 5–11
Card 15: Insurance costs linked to age
A young driver faces high insurance costs because of assumptions about risk associated with their age group.
Likely life stage: 17–24
Card 16: Older people represented as a burden
Media coverage describes an ageing population mainly as a cost or burden on welfare and healthcare services.
Likely life stage: 65+
Card 17: Youth voice excluded from school decisions
Students complain that rules are made about them without any real consultation.
Likely life stage: 11–18
Card 18: Assumptions about memory and competence
An older employee is left out of tasks involving technology because colleagues assume they will struggle.
Likely life stage: 60+
Student summary grid
After placing the cards, students complete this table.
| Card / example | Age group affected | Type of discrimination | Main setting | Possible effect on life chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Too young to be taken seriously | 18–24 | Stereotyping / indirect discrimination | Workplace | Reduced confidence, fewer opportunities |
Discussion questions
Use these after the timeline has been completed.
- Which age group had the highest number of discrimination examples?
- Which examples are based on stereotypes rather than formal rules?
- Which forms of age discrimination are most visible?
- Which forms are most hidden?
- How does age discrimination affect life chances in education, work, health and housing?
- Is age discrimination more severe for the young or the old?
- How might age discrimination overlap with class, gender, disability or ethnicity?
Extension task
Ranking activity: Most damaging to life chances
Students rank the top five forms of age discrimination from most serious to least serious.
They must justify their top choice using one of the following ideas:
- long-term impact
- effect on income
- effect on wellbeing
- effect on opportunities
- effect on identity and self-esteem
AO3 extension
Exam-style judgement question
“Age inequality is most serious in old age.” Evaluate this view.
Students should consider:
- discrimination against children and teenagers
- labour market inequalities for younger adults
- ageism in healthcare and employment for older adults
- the fact that age inequality changes across the life course
Teacher notes / possible answers
There is no single perfect answer, but likely patterns include:
- 0–11: adults dismissing children’s views
- 12–17: suspicion, control, stereotyping, exclusion from decision making
- 18–24: being seen as inexperienced, housing barriers, low pay, assumptions of irresponsibility
- 25–39: often less obvious age discrimination, though age expectations around family and career may still operate
- 40–59: appearance-based discrimination, assumptions about ageing, workplace bias
- 60–74: pressure around retirement, exclusion from training, assumptions about lack of adaptability
- 75+: healthcare dismissal, dependency stereotypes, social exclusion, media construction as a burden
A good class conclusion is that age discrimination is experienced differently across the life course, rather than being limited to one age group only.
Why this activity works sociologically
This task helps students see that age is not just a biological fact. It is also a social category shaped by expectations, stereotypes and institutional practices. The activity encourages students to think about how society gives different age groups different levels of power, freedom and respect. It also shows that age inequality changes over time and can affect people very differently depending on their position in the life course.
Optional plenary
Ask students to complete the sentence:
“One important thing I learned about age discrimination is…”
or
“The life stage most affected by age discrimination is… because…”
The full activity pack is available to download below:
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