There has always been a certain "ism" that social movements have fought against throughout American history, and the issue of "age" was finally addressed in The Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Ageism can be defined as prejudicial beliefs, attitudes and behaviors regarding 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 wasn't a big problem until the early 20th century, largely because it was a tacit form of discrimination. In most cases, people worked until an age when they felt no use, and for the rest of their lives their families took care of them. Industrialization ushered in a new era that introduced unions and new guidelines were created on how long someone should stay in a position. Over time, age discrimination has become 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 part of the 20th century, but was not recognized as a social problem until World War II. The wartime economy dramatically increased the demand for labor, and the number of men age 65 and older in the workforce increased by 75 percent (U.S. Census, 1975). The growing need for workers helped integrate women into the workforce and demonstrated that older adults were competent and willing to accept modern employment. Policy makers have become concerned about the presence and pervasiveness of age discrimination due to the large amount of older workers employed at this time in history, which has made the problem more evident. The United States emerged... halfway through the 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 Applicable to Federal Employees Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: A Victory for Older Federal Workers The Supreme Court's Decision in Gomez-Perez V. Potter, Postmaster General Review of Public Personnel Administration 29.1 (2009): 89-94. Print.Rothenberg, Jessica and Gardner, Daniel. “Protecting Older Workers: The Failure of the Age Discrimination Act of 1967.” Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 38.1 2011: 9-30. Herbert D. and Martha W. Dewhurst. "The Age Discrimination Act Amendments of 1978 and Their Effect on Collective Bargaining" 30.8 (1979): 477-482 Business Source Web. 2011.