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Ageism, Age Relations, and Garment Industry Work in Montreal

Correspondence: Julie Ann McMullin^,1, Department of Sociology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2. E-mail: mcmullin{at}julian.uwo.ca.

Laurence G. Branch, PhD

This study examined the complexities of age relations at work. Garment workers believed that their fate was linked to ageism and that their work experience was discounted by management. Managers wanted to be rid of older workers because they commanded higher wages than younger workers. The issue was cost reduction, and age was implicated unintendedly. Still, managers seemed to use stereotypical images to discourage older workers and they did not organize work routines to facilitate the adaptation of them. Instead, they subcontracted the easy jobs, relying on the experience of the older employees for difficult work while not adapting the workplace. Theoretically, the authors argue that ageism and age discrimination can best be understood through a recognition of the importance of structured age relations and human agency.

Key Words: Age discrimination • Inequality • Gender • Class • Ethnicity

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