Aging And Suffering: Ageism In The Context Of Structural Inequality And Social Spending In Brazil
Aging And Suffering: Ageism In The Context Of Structural Inequality And Social Spending In Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51473/rcmos.v1i1.2026.2147Keywords:
Ageism, Aging, Social Determinants of HealthAbstract
Brazil is experiencing accelerated population aging in a context of persistent structural inequality and social reforms that weaken social protections. This article investigates how vulnerabilities in old age are socially produced through the articulation between premature demographic transition, incomplete epidemiological transition, institutionalized ageism, and age-related necropolitics. Through a critical theoretical-documentary analysis, four analytical propositions are examined: aging as a premature demographic transition; the triple burden of disease as a persistent pattern of expanded morbidity; ageism as a mediating device between structural conditions and health outcomes; and fiscal and social security reforms as institutional arrangements that systematically deepen insecurity in old age. The operationalization of the concept of ageism reveals concrete manifestations in health policies, protocols, and practices. Empirical evidence confirms that elderly Brazilians live more than eight years with severe functional limitations, characterizing an expansion of morbidity. The constitutional reforms EC 95/2016 and EC 103/2019, implemented simultaneously with population aging, constitute a political choice for the systematic production of insecurity for vulnerable populations. A survey conducted in the SciELO, CAPES Journals Portal, and Scopus databases reveals consistent scientific production on ageism in the period 2020–2025, indicating an intensification of academic interest, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research demonstrates that dignified aging does not result from natural processes, but from deliberate political choices that can and should be challenged.
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