Understandings of satisfactory old age in elderly women in the Federal District: features of life story and the social class influences

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify the possible influences of the social class on the understanding of satisfactory old age of elderly women living in the Federal District (FD). This is a cross-sectional, exploratory and qualitative study. The Life History interview was selected as a method to comprehend the trajectories of eight participants of two social groups: group C, with low-middle income, and group JB, with high income. Social class was associated with the level of schooling, work, marriage, the migratory process to the FD and the construction of satisfactory old age. For group C, old age was permeated by access to educational opportunities and new goods and services; in other hand, for grupo JB as period of rest, to enjoy leisure and their social network. Intrinsic factors, related to the individual, were more reported by group C to describe satisfactory old age, and intrinsic and extrinsic components by group JB.