SEES Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Seminar 31 May - Professor Nancy Pachana

Ageism as a Last (Regrettable) Frontier, And What We Can Do About It

Abstract

Ageism has been noted to have received less attention, and to persist without action, more so than other "isms" (e.g. sexism). In a national poll just over 50% of Australians believe that Australia is an ageist country, and many Australian companies are reluctant to hire or retain workers over 50. But research and community activism have also shown us positive ways forward, and these are the topic of this talk. UQ was the first Age Friendly University in the Southern Hemisphere, part of WHO's Age Friendly Ecosystem. In this, the UN's Decade of Healthy Ageing, and with an eye to relevant Sustainable Development Goals, individuals, communities, and organisations can make impact ageism and ensure a more inclusive community.

Biography

Dr. Nancy A. Pachana is Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology, and Director of the Healthy Ageing Initiative in the HaBS Faculty at UQ. She is co-director of the UQ Ageing Mind Initiative, providing a focal point for clinical, translational ageing-related research at the university. She has an international reputation in the area of geriatric mental health, and has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and books on various topics in the field of ageing. Nancy was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2014. She is an avid bird watcher and a keen traveller.