There has always been a certain "ism" that social movements have fought against throughout American history, and the question of "the 'Ageism' was eventually addressed in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Ageism can be defined as prejudiced beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards older people. To fully understand the ADEA, a brief history of age discrimination is helpful in understanding the structural level of this bill. Age discrimination was not a major problem until the early 20th century, mainly because it was an unspoken form of discrimination. For the most part, people worked until an age where they no longer felt useful, and for the rest of their lives their family would take care of them. Industrialization ushered in a new era that introduced unions and new guidelines were created as to how long a person should stay on the job. Over time, age discrimination became an integrated feature of the modern industrial economy; Ageism was even associated with the progress of American capitalism. The issue of age discrimination received some attention in the early 20th century, but was not recognized as a social problem until around World War II. The war economy greatly increased the demand for labor, and the number of men aged 65 and over in the labor force jumped 75% (U.S. Census, 1975). The growing need for workers helped integrate women into the workforce and proved that older people were competent and accepting of modern employment. Policymakers became concerned about the presence and pervasiveness of age discrimination due to the large number of older workers employed at this time in history, which made the problem more evident. The United States emerged...... middle of document ......tion in the Employment Act and the Vocational Rehabilitation Act: a proposed consolidation. " Labor Law Journal 31.1 (1980): 13-26. Print.Mitchell, Charles. "Retaliation Suits Held Against Federal Employees Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: A Victory for Older Federal Workers' Decision in Gomez-Perez V. Potter, Postmaster General Review of Public Personnel Administration 29.1 (2009): 89-94 Print. Older Workers: The Failure of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.” Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 38.1 2011: 9-30. of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1978 and Their Effect on Collective Bargaining » Labor Law Journal. 30.8 (1979) : 477-482.. 2011.