A Política Nacional do Idoso: o caso de Vitória (1994-2004)

Abstract

It analyses the history of social connections of sixty years old and elder people from Vitória municipality by making an investigation of Elderly’s Nationality Politics (Política Nacional do Idoso – PNI) in those aspects concerning the behavior of public and society power directed to this populating contingent, during the period between 1994 (PNI year promulgation) and 2004. We make use of this analysis, and its posterior confrontation of interviews, bibliographical and documentary sources so that the study of present history with the support of oral history is taken as well. It brings out the building of a legislation which gives approval to the elderly segment that lives in society based on the short-lived, instantaneous and on the substitution culture so that the social construction for old people drives and classifies them as if they were marginal persons. However, the PNI demonstrates an advancement of public power towards legalizing politics, which are important because they have decided to pay attention to oldness. Based on its later legislative unfolding, beside political, social and economic changes in the society, an approbative environment has set up in favor of reading again the meaning of oldness. The Vitória municipality, close to its city hall, has developed supporting programs to benefit the elderly people in order to make easy their access into social goods and work as well. The operational action for these programs points to recognize these people’s social importance as well as to promote their self-esteem as a consequence.