Old age and elderly people: social representations of adolescent students

OBJECTIVE: to know the main elements of social representations about elderly people and old age among adolescents at a public high school. METHOD: 172 adolescents between 14 and 19 years of age participated. The free evocation of words technique was applied through the terms elderly and old age. RESULTS: The main elements of the representations significantly designed for elderly people were: respect and disrespect, 78; experience, 49; care, 32; wisdom, 23; fragility, 19. For old age: disease, 51; retirement, 27; experience, 27; wisdom, 19; wrinkles, 17. The social representations of adolescents are strongly marked by physical, psychological and social aspects, with positive and negative aspects about old age. CONCLUSION: Participatory health education activities are needed to make adolescents critically reflect on and the condition of elderly people in contemporary society.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Freitas,Maria Célia de, Ferreira,Maria Assunção
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo 2013
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-11692013000300750
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