Uma análise das percepções de envelhecimento de mulheres idosas em Princesa Isabel/PB

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy and the elderly population at both global and national levels has brought greater focus to the debate on aging in different societies. In Brazil, the Statute of the Elderly was established in 2003. In the academic field, studies on aging, particularly in relation to quality of life and public policies, have also gained more prominence. In the social sciences, aging has come to be researched from a social perspective, breaking with the notion that it is solely a biological phenomenon, and providing a heterogeneous view with emphasis on the perceptions of this population. From this perspective, the central question is: What are the perceptions of elderly women residing in the São Francisco neighborhood regarding the aging process, and how do factors such as gender, social class, body, health, intergenerational relationships, and sociability impact this process? Thus, the general objective of this research is to understand the perceptions of the aging process among elderly women living in the São Francisco neighborhood, located in Princesa Isabel/PB. The theoretical framework is composed of Elias (1994; 2001) in terms of configuration, aging, and its social characteristics, and Simmel (2006), with a focus on the field of sociability. These references are supported by the works of Magnani (1992); Debert (1997); Britto da Motta (1999; 2002); Heck and Langdon (2002); Salgado (2002); Fernandes and Garcia (2010); Franch and Andrade (2012); Longhi (2018); and Chiarelli and Batistoni (2022), who analyze the aging process from a social, gender, and class perspective. The methodology of the study is qualitative, utilizing participant observation and semi-structured interviews through an anonymous questionnaire with 11 elderly women residing in the neighborhood. Among the results obtained, it was possible to understand that the perception of aging varies depending on the individual’s gender and social class. For the women interviewed, this perception is tied to bodily issues through physical changes and the emergence of health problems. It was also found that sociability in the neighborhood is developed through family relationships (including intergenerational relationships) and neighborly interactions, with sidewalks serving as a space for sociability and interaction.