Patronizing Speech

Final Dissertation

Name of supervising professor

Course title

PATRONIZING SPEECH AS AN EXAMPLE OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OLDER CONSUMERS

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(Name of the Author)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate (Adler, 2001, 621).



Abstract

Patronizing speech is a communicational style that helps an individual in treating others with a perceptible kindness that inculcates disloyal feelings of dominance. The problem that will be discussed in detail through this research study will be based on sorting out the issues of the discrimination of the elderly people through patronizing speech. Stereotypes about older adults have contributed to negative attitudes about aging. Ageism stereotypes have included the idea that older adults were senile, more mentally ill, frail, sick, inefficient, isolative, inflexible, stubborn and lacking interest in sex. This had lead to the patronizing behaviours of the marketers and the service providers in the market. There are clear evidences that old consumers seriously dislike being treated with patronizing speech. Here the patronized speech is perceived as the service quality by the elderly consumers. A need for a communication enhancement model is quite clear as it will help in reducing the predicament for older consumers against the patronizing. The patroniser can be confronted by the same techniques that he or she applies to the older consumers while making his or her point clear to them. By this the patroniser will be able to understand the situation from which the older consumers go through when they are being patronized by them. Patronizing is a negative way of addressing someone as one thinks that he or she would not be able to link with them without its usage (Banzinger, G., & Drevenstedt, 1982, pp.470). The mature market represents a growing sector but the mistake many marketers may do is to consider it as a homogeneous market to assume homogeneity among this cohort of 68 million people is hardly an effective strategy.

Table of contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT2

ABSTRACT3

CHAPTER1: INTRODUCTION6

CHAPTER 2: DEMOGRAPHICS ABOUT THE ELDERLY9

SECTION 1: UNDERSANDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITH ELDERLY PEOPLE9

1.1Attitudes and stereotypes about the elderly people10

1.2Stereotypes towards older people12

1.3Why should we matter at all about attitudes and stereotypes?15

SECTION 2: PATRONIZING SPEECH16

2.1 Defining patronizing speech16

2.2 Theories supporting patronizing speech:20

2.2.1 Social Identity Theory20

CHAPTER 3: THE OLD CONSUMER23

3.1 Who Is He Or She?23

3.2Interaction Of Consumer and sale person at The Point Of Sale24

3.3 Patronizing speech, how is it perceived?26

3.3.1 Patronising speech from the sale person point of view: perceived service quality26

3.3.2 Patronizing speech from the old consumer point of view29

3.3.3 Effects of patronizing speech on elderly consumers30

CHAPTER 4: DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES ON PATRONIZING SPEECH: WAYS TO END THE PREDICAMENT31

4.1The Communication Enhancement Model31

4.2 Communication Predicament of ...