Older adults in San Luis Potosí. Exchange and work

Abstract

Public strategies have been designed in different parts of the world in order to deal with the ageing of the population, which repercussions affect several areas such as individual health and the economies of countries. The type of strategy responds to the social security system of each country, to the cultural patterns of the populations and a determined definition of elderly age and quality of life. In Mexico, the procurement of social security and care in situations of physical or financial vulnerability has primarily been the responsibility of social and familiar networks; the design of public policies should consider these issuess which entails attending to the crossings of biographies and events between several generations. This research focused on the narratives of older people in social vulnerability contexts where their thoughts about their life trajectories, the mechanisms used for their survival and their suggestions for governmental intervention in their current situation were collected. The results emphasize two aspects: the importance of exchange through mutual help networks, and work as the most treasured good in order to find a place in those networks as well as to keep control of their lives.