Aging in a rural settlement from the perspective of Actor-Network Theory

• Grant number: 23/16162-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: September 05, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Social Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Laura Vilela e Souza
• Grantee: Sarah Magela Morais
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/07511-5 - Aging in a rural settlement from the perspective of Actor-Network Theory, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Aging is a common episode in the development of all living organisms. At the same time, the idea of what aging is, when someone will be understood as elderly, their identity formation and social expectations about this population are a social construction.In Western countries and in Brazil, aging is seen as a stage of life composed of heterogeneity, involving people aged 60+ with diverse socioeconomic realities, resulting in the need for government policies for this population to deal with the multiplicity of demands involved in this diversity. Thinking about the Brazilian rural territorial profile, according to the National Household Sample Survey, PNAD 2015, 15.28% of Brazil's population lives in rural areas. Inserted in the rural context of the country are rural settlements, which are defined as the reorganization of land administration through the creation of new agricultural departments through public policies that enable the subject to remain in the rural area. These territories are made up of groups of regions and different struggles. Taking into account the scenario of the elderly population, state negligence is observed, with emphasis on people with less economic power, such as residents of rural settlements, with a lack of public policies aimed at this population. Thinking about old age with a rural territorial perspective is to collaborate in the production of new meanings for values, beliefs and social roles. The objective of this research aims to understand the experiences and meanings of aging in the settlement. To this end, the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) will be used as a theoretical-methodological instrument. Considering the heterogeneity of the territory and seeking to guarantee different points of view on the topic, the participation of elderly residents of the PDS settlement at Fazenda da Barra is planned. The following will be used: semi-structured interviews; participant observation; field diaries and photographic records of network components. The interviews will be transcribed in full. The set of material produced will be analyzed under the Actor-Network Theory.