Participation: a study on the elderly
Name: TANIA MARIA BIGOSSI DO PRADO
Publication date: 20/10/2006
Summary: This work aims to analyze the contribution of Programa Vivendo a Melhor Idade (Living the Best Age Program) of Vitória City Hall, in the conquest of effective participation of elderly in society, by means of the specific objectives: ) to identify if the program it includes the elderly in a participating management; b) to verify if the program subsidizes the political participation of the elderly in the struggle for achievement of rights and guarantee of the already conquered ones; c) to know if the
program is making possible the preservation of autonomy, the promotion of integrity and the active and healthful aging. The technical procedures used were bibliographical, documentary and field researches. For the field research, halfstructuralized interviews were made with the elderly and social assistants inserted in the program and the collected material was analyzed in a qualitative approach. It was possible to identify some elements which indicate that this Program has given a relatively positive response to those questions. However, there are some obstacles
to make possible the conquest of participation, autonomy and integration. In this Program the elderly have chance to insert themselves in physical, artistic, playful, educating and leisure activities, among others. All of them have great importance to experiment the process of aging in a positive way; however, a persistence concerning the conquest of the elderly participation does not appear, either in the program management or in public space for claiming. It was not observed any work on a perspective between different ages which could involve family and community. All the elderly state that they take account of their own proper lives and decisions, and that may a signal that their autonomy has been rescued and preserved. Although there are not registers of any effective contribution of the Program in this direction, it is undeniable that it subsidizes their attitude front to their daily questions. Regarding
to the promotion of active and healthy aging, it is easily noticeable in their way of speaking, looking and act. It expresses itself when interviewed elderly speak of the motivation to go out and to overcome depressive states, the improvement of physical conditions and it is also implicit when they point out the condition of being aged as an
important stage of the life, when they mention their conquests in relation to the latest generation and the possibility of fulfilling their freedom dream. In synthesis, even though the Living the Best Age Program can contribute to promote the effective participation of the elderly in society, it is still found incipient, because one cannot
perceive either an effective contribution to consolidate the political participation of the elderly or an articulation of these groups in the aspects of citizenship, right defense and political action. It has structural limitations for such achievements in a society that, besides marked for an iniquitous inequality, presents an incipient culture in
Politics - inexperienced and distant from the participation exercise - resulted from decades of authoritarian practices.
