RESENHA
Fragments of the soul: emotions of the elderly
Ariane Graciotto
Enfermeira. Professora substituta da Escola de Enfermagem da UFRGS
The book was organized by Gricelda Azevedo Arrieta and Lourdes da Silva Gil, members of the program "The University meeting the community, a space for the elderly", ULBRATI, developed in the Lutheran University of Brazil, Canoas -RS. During the art and literature workshops, reports and drawings, which expressed the perceptions of the elderly regarding this phase of their lives, were collected. The material was classified and distributed according to its content by the students and the organizers of the workshop.
The book has 114 pages, which are distributed among its 8 chapters. There are 8 illustrations, which, in general, divide the book in chapters. The main subjects presented in the book will be shown as follows. In the introduction there is a brief discussion on the interpretations that are attributed to the logotype of ULBRATI. The logotype is a tree with clocks on it. The tree represents the different phases in life and the clocks the history of life of each individual.
In the first and second chapter it presents the program and organization, the target public (people who are 50 or older), objectives, methodology of work with the participants. It also approaches situations of the workshops which resulted in the written and visual representation of the themes proposed having as a starting point the reading of short story La Loba from the book Mulheres que correm com lobos (Women that Run with Wolves) by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
In the chapter Começou o exercício da Loba, texts and commentaries about who the she-wolf could be, are presented. In these texts it is possible to observe that the participants look at themselves and try to understand personal matters, acknowledge their personal value, as well as demonstrate the pleasure they experienced through writing.
Sensações (Sensations) is the next topic. It deals with revelations and emotions of happiness and nostalgia related to experiences in the past and in the present. It has some relation with the fifth chapter that presents the theme friendship and friends. The reports of the elderly mention the importance of cultivating friendships, sharing moments in life and the feeling of nostalgia regarding adventures.
The perception of aging, its myths, disesteem X estimation is part of the sixth chapter. In this chapter topics such as the association of elderly to less value is, the overprotection of children, depreciating language used by society and the demystification of perceptions regarding the elderly are criticized.
The seventh chapter, Coisas de valor precioso ou inestimável para as oficineiras (Precious and invaluable things for the workshop organizers) has the report of significant facts, people, places and special objects.
In the last chapter, the participants report the difficulties and joys they faced in the workshops and also express their opinions regarding life and aging.
After reading the book we observe the need of rethinking aging through the perspective of the elderly. The book provides easy reading and agreeable visual organization. The organizers maintain the authenticity of the different authors who write one of the chapters in the book. It contemplates the idea of construction of something (aging) through fragments (opinions).
It is suggested that the short story, which was used as the starting point of the activities, be divulged and that an evaluation of the reports presented at the end of next programs of ULBRATI be done in order to detect changes in the personal and social behavior noticed by students.
This book is recommended to all of those who relate to elderly people and are interested in rescuing their value as well as the importance of learning during the process of aging.
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
27 June 2014 -
Date of issue
Feb 2002
