Terceira idade e práticas religiosas como expressão de solidariedade.

Abstract

This essay has as research object the group Recanto da Alegria . It is a group of old catholic women, that assemble for religious practice as a solidarity way. The group is from the periphery and has 60 participants, the biggest part is poor pensioner or survive with a poor retiring, some are married and others are widow. This research tried to seize the mainly aspects of this complex situation, from the investigations and observations of the people interviewed from the group. The research is characterized and developed by the ethnographic method of investigation and it has as mainly technique the collection of data s the interview partly guided and the participant observation. The result gotten by the important integration of the old women were: by the religious and social practices in the group the old women are influenced by the solidarity way; this helps them to feel important and useful to the world and society. By the religion and the group the old women feel protected, decreasing the risk of feeling depression, loneliness but able to accept the old age. Some characteristics among the old women: sensibility, comprehension, patient, plainness, geniality, attention, interest, comprehension about the human, knowing how to listen, knowing how to let people free, freedom to speak, moderate, friends, captivated. These characteristics show the group society, with religious and social practices, establish friendship and discovery among people. Becomes important to the solidarity, no matter if these people are old age.