THE RE-SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FEMININITY DURING THE AGING PROCESS

• Autor(a) principal: Rodrigues, Aretusa de Paula
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Justo, José Sterza
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Estudos Interdisciplinares sobre o Envelhecimento
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/RevEnvelhecer/article/view/7233
• topic: Femininity; Life Course; Aging.; Feminilidade; Curso de Vida; Envelhecimento.

This study aims to investigate the resignificance of femininity for oldwomen. The research was conducted through analyses of seven participant’s interviews. The participants’ profile matched as old women; who lived in Araçatuba city, and were engaged in a weekly group named “Meetings for Well-being”, which was sponsored by the Open University for Elderly - UNESP- Campus of Araçatuba. The data were collected through semidirective interviews, which were performed in the participants’ own residences. This material was systematized, transcribed and interpreted for qualitative analyses. The interpretation of the data were accomplished through the methodology proposed by Bardin focusing on feminine’s pers pective for the aging process, in other words, the women’s cognition about their condition facing that phase of life. The analyses were also based on the life course theory and other authors who studied the aging process. The results suggest that femininity is expressed in varied forms. Some individuals refer important changes, frequently linked with events, for example, widowhood, unexpected diseases, separations and retirement. By the other hand, others didn’t notice any significant changes in their lives. Concerning the resignificance of femininity, it was possible to observe the most important shifts were related to the level of sociability with the increased number of friendships, in the level of personal autonomy, with the sensation of conquering expanded freedom, and in the level of accom plishments, with the materialization of goals, dreams and desires, which were formerly precluded.