La vejez y su representación social. Una mirada a los significados, imágenes y prácticas asociadas al envejecimiento por personas adultas mayores de la ciudad de Morelia, México

Abstract

The present article focuses its attention in studying the meaning of aging, whose objective was to identify the social representations of abandonment and aging from a qualitative study. This study took place on a popular town in Morelia, Michoacán with 15 men and 15 women over the age of 60, to whom a few instruments were applied, such as in-depth interviews, discussion groups and a free association questionnaire, all used to explore social representations. The results allow placing the social representations of abandonment and aging in a direct relationship, as a double representational system that shares contents and particular meanings. In aging’s case, a relationship with the lack of support, family care expectations, lack of life opportunities, impact of physical changes and lack of general attention is observed. The article concludes that, with social representation, people give meaning to their reality, take a position regarding their experience and assume an identity as a social group.