Association of Charitable Foundations

The collective discussion around technology is both rich and extensive—but too often it is also incomplete. As we sit in rooms considering the Promethean possibilities of technology, are we at risk of leaving too many of the broader political and ethical questions at the door? This article argues that as organizations and individuals concerned with the generation and preservation of social good, it is important that the philanthropy sector remains dogged in its commitment to introducing and reintroducing such questions and concerns into the debate. By so doing, funders can continue their long tradition of exercising positive and transformative influence far beyond the boundaries of what they individually choose to fund or adopt.

Older people are an increasingly important consumer group and hence advertising target, yet relatively little research in the UK and in Europe (as opposed to the USA) has examined how older adults are portrayed in advertising. In this study, a sample of 221 magazine advertisements depicting older adults were coded for features such as the advertised products, setting, role prominence, rhetorical scheme, tone and type of portrayal. In a departure from previous studies, we devised a set of six descriptive ‘types’ which encapsulate the way older people are portrayed in these advertisements. Also, and as the main focus of this paper, we compared a magazine designed for people over 50 (Saga Magazine) to ten general readership magazines in order to investigate any differences in the portrayal of older adults in (older)age-targeted vs. general readership advertising. Previous research on old age stereotyping, social identity theory and inter-group theory form the basis of our analysis.

Journal Article Reviews Section Get access THE FIRST CHARITY, Robert Matthews Johnson, £15 (from The First Charity, 36 Grove Avenue, Birmingham, B13 9RY) Nigel Siederer Nigel Siederer Association of Charitable Foundations Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Community Development Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1, January 1991, Pages 69–70, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/26.1.69 Published: 01 January 1991