Quote:
Originally Posted by Kansas Ref
@JRut: ha ha--well, I guess the ''just for men" conditioners really work--and there's prolly lots of dyed towels in their hotel rooms that the refs had used for hair dyeing.
@Boomersooners: OK, so based on what you're postulating with the "method of selecting officials" example---then age-related bias could still be in-effect even though it may appear to be an "age-balanced" crew.
But my main point upon which this observation of age-balanced crews was noted is that --at least on the surface--there is some level of equity no?
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I don't know that calling what we are discussing is actually a bias or "ageism". If age (or race, gender, etc.) is used as a determining factor in making the decision, then it is a form of discrimination even if the goal is to avoid the appearance of bias or discrimination. The intent may be genuinely good, but it boils down to an official missing out on an assignment because of his/her age and not ability or qualification. Other than a narrow subset of exceptions, I don't think this is a good practice even if the intention is good.
Dad's point of pairing more experienced and less experienced officials together to provide mentorship is perfectly acceptable. The term younger and less-experienced are often used interchangeably, but in Dad's case I think he's suggesting experience is the determining factor.