Abstract
The concept of citizenshi pimplies a link between one individual and a particular Nation-State through mutual rights and duties. At this moment, when ageing has become both a universal and a local phenomenon, it is important to study how elderly people perceive citizenship, how they practice and live this special link, specially in light of the federal act 10.741 of 2003 (The Elderly Statute). For this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to 14 elderly individuals (61-83 years old), all members of a U3A (University of Third Age) at Rio de Janeiro, asking them about the recognition of their rights and the function and efficacy of the Brazilian Judicial Power. The investigation shows that most of them do not recognize their needs and demands as legal problems but rather consider them as a natural part of aging, what indicates that there is a distance between promulgated rights and lived rights.
Key words:
aged; aging; human rights; bylaws (health law); universities