Un'analisi sugli effetti della discriminazione di genere ed età sul benessere delle donne lavoratrici over50 in Italia

Stereotypes are «beliefs about the characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of certain groups» (Hilton & von Hippel, 1996, p. 240) that simplify cognitive processes and help people cope with the complexity of the world. However, these simplifications work to the disadvantage of many social groups, especially in the workplace (Carli & Eagly, 1999; Deaux & LaFrance, 1998; Perry & Finkelstein, 1999), as they often result in discrimination. If we consider that gender stereotypes and prejudices are still present in organizations, ageing is for women a risk for double discrimination. In this study, we analyzed for the first time the combined effect of gender and age discrimination on the individual well-being of over 50 women workers in Italy. In a sample of 4962 over 50 women workers, we measured the extent to which they perceive age related and gender discrimination and the impact of this discrimination on well-being. Results from a cluster analysis show that double discriminated women have the lowest level of well-being.