Paternalistic ageism in political speech: a rhetorical analysis of Chilean parliamentary debates on old age and older people

In this thesis, I examine how Chilean Members of Parliament (MPs) discursively construct the social identities, roles, and worth of older people through the lens of rhetorical psychology, as developed by Michael Billig (1991, 1996). By analysing key parliamentary debates on ageing-related policies between 2008 and 2019, I show how politicians’ speeches often reproduce paternalistic and essentializing narratives that obscure the heterogeneity of older people’s experiences and reinforce age-based inequalities, even as they purport to valorize and advocate for older constituents. The analysis traces how MPs’ epideictic rhetoric strategically invokes different ‘economies of worth’ (Boltanski & Thévenot, 1991/2006), centred on the values of work, family, and nation, to define the boundaries of a ‘successful’ old age, offering symbolic recognition while sidestepping substantive policy commitments. It further examines the gendered particularization of ageing, unpacking how discourses of women’s pension ‘deservingness’ enact a ‘velvet glove’ (Jackman, 1994) that reproduces traditional gender roles and familial care responsibilities. Finally, it explores how MPs’ paternalistic language of ‘care’ functions as a form of ‘symbolic reassurance’ (Edelman, 1964/1985) that provides affective consolation while deflecting demands for structural change.

Theoretically, my thesis contributes to the study of ageism by developing a rhetorical psychological approach that attends to the flexible, situated, and ideological nature of age-based attitudes and prejudices as they are enacted and transformed through political discourse. Empirically, it illuminates the distinctive dynamics of ageism in the context of Chilean politics, shaped by the intersecting forces of neoliberal austerity, conservative social values, and post-authoritarian democratization. In doing so, my thesis extends and updates Robert Butler’s (1969) original framing of ageism as a systemic form of prejudice deeply imbricated with other structures of power and difference.

In conclusion, with this thesis I suggest that addressing ageism in Chilean politics requires not only new policies and institutions, but also a shift in cultural narratives and moral visions of late-life citizenship—ones that affirm the shared dignity, interdependence, and diversity of people of all ages. By critically examining the rhetorical foundations of ageism in elite political discourse, my research contributes to a broader understanding of how age-based prejudices are perpetuated and offers insights into possible pathways for creating a more inclusive society.