Envelhecimento da classe trabalhadora, dependência e cuidados familiares: desafios para a proteção social no município do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Under a Marxist social theory approach and based on a critical perspective of aging processes in the context of Brazilian social inequalities and the centrality of families in the legislation, the present work is inserted in the field of studies of population aging, family care and public policies. It problematizes the conditions of elderly working-class in a situation of dependency and need for care, especially in the face of new social regulations and the focus of social policies in Brazil. The general objective is to analyze the demands of homecare, expected assistance proposals and of mechanisms of articulation of social control spaces. The central theoretical axes focus on the themes of aging, working class, social protection, family and care. This is a qualitative research carried out in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The methodological procedures consist of theoretical-bibliographic review, documentary study, participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The documentary stage examines the policies directed to the elderly dependent and other pertinent bibliographical sources. The subjects of the research are family caregivers who access the social assistance network of the territory and representatives / activists of social movements in the area. In analytical terms, the thesis is oriented by the dialectical historical method and is structured in the interface of the following markers: the first point addresses the aging process in Brazil, starting from the practical and discursive formulations in the area, giving emphasis on the social class dimension. The second point deals with the State’s responses through social policies and verifies the course of these policies, constructing a brief historical review of international norms and their influences in Brazil, in parallel with the paradigms based on the concepts of active aging and functional capacity. In the area of family care, it explores the familist inclination in Brazilian social protection system and the domiciliary care in social reproduction. The conclusions indicate that home care is treated as a matter of private policy within the scope of policies, and that there are no proposals for care policies that address neither gender debate, nor care as a right. The socio-institutional network of Rio de Janeiro is fragmented and follows the productivist, neoliberal, familistic and feminilista logic, with an increasing reduction of programs and services. The sample group belongs to the segment of the most precarious working-classes. Care is provided by young and old women and under very adverse circumstances. The narratives express loneliness, physical and psychological exhaustion, devaluation of activities, social deprotection and lack of knowledge of rights. The experience of access to services is marked by countless impasses, not constituting their full enjoyment. The spaces of social control have not addressed the issue of homecare, and they also face challenges of demobilization in the current conjuncture. The geriatric \ gerontological field assumes hegemony in the area, influencing public policies and programs. The focus on social class has been neglected, with predominance of tendencies that reinforce care individualization and the naturalization of family responsibilities.