Significado de bienestar subjetivo e inclusión económica en adultos mayores líderes de asociaciones en el sur de Chile / Meaning of subjective well-being and economic inclusion in older adults leaders of associations in southern Chile

RESUMEN

Resumen Chile es uno de los países con mayor esperanza de vida en Latinoamérica, así como con mayor porcentaje de personas mayores de 60 años. Este grupo etario es considerado como grupo vulnerable en procesos de inclusión económica. A esto se suma que muchos adultos mayores deben trabajar hasta edades avanzadas debido a las bajas pensiones y escasos recursos económicos, lo cual impacta su bienestar. Atendiendo a los antecedentes y desde la psicología económica, el objetivo de este estudio es conocer el significado del bienestar subjetivo y la inclusión económica en adultos mayores de entre 60-75 años, en zonas urbanas del sur de Chile. La metodología de investigación es cualitativa y se aplicaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, las cuales fueron analizadas con la técnica análisis de contenido y con el soporte del programa N-VIVO 11. Los participantes fueron 10 adultos mayores -3 hombres y 7 mujeres- todos líderes de clubes de adultos mayores. Los principales hallazgos muestran que los significados asociados al bienestar subjetivo se refieren a las fuentes de este, tales como familia, amigos y la participación en organizaciones de adultos mayores. Sin embargo, asocian sentimientos negativos relacionados con las dificultades que enfrentan por sus precarias condiciones económicas. En cuanto a los significados asociados a la inclusión económica, se refieren a habilidades tales como la capacidad de administración y distribución de los ingresos y la necesidad de aprender sobre el uso de herramientas tecnológicas que se requieren para sentirse incluidos en el sistema. Además, indican prácticas como el endeudamiento formal e informal y escaso ahorro.

ABSTRACT

Abstract Increasing life expectancy brings with it research challenges associated with the evidence of the psychosocial and economic implications of this fact in contemporary societies. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a field of study related to the quality of life and subjective well-being of this age group. Chile is one of the countries with the highest life expectancy in Latin America, as well as the highest percentage of people over 60. Faced with this panorama, it is necessary to know aspects that impact and take on meanings associated with subjective well-being in old age, as well as towards economic inclusion, considering that older adults, together with women heads of household and young people, are considered vulnerable socioeconomic groups in the processes of economic inclusion. Added to this is the fact that many older adults must continue to work into old age due to low pensions and scarce economic resources, which have an impact on their well-being. In this research, subjective well-being is considered to be composed of an affective and a cognitive dimension and is defined as the evaluation that people themselves make of their lives. On the other hand, economic inclusion is understood as a process of promoting affordable, timely and adequate access to a wide range of regulated financial products and services. Based on economic psychology, the objective of this study is to understand the meaning of subjective well-being and economic inclusion in older adults between the ages of 60-75 in urban areas of southern Chile. The study was realized in the Araucanía Region, the region with the highest poverty rate in this country. The research methodology is qualitative and semi-structured interviews were applied, which were analyzed with the content analysis technique and with the support of the N-VIVO 11 program. The participants were 10 older adults, 3 men and 7 women, leaders of older adult clubs. The research's ethical safeguards included the approval of the University of La Frontera Ethics Committee, incorporating the use of informed consent and authorization for the recording of interviews. The main findings show that the meanings associated with subjective well-being refer to its sources, such as family, friends and participation in organizations of older adults, declare positive feelings associated with happiness and satisfaction with life; however, they associate some negative feelings related to the difficulties they face due to precarious economic conditions that prevent them from satisfying basic needs (for example, health and food). As for the meanings associated with financial inclusion, they refer to skills such as the ability to manage and distribute income and the need to learn about the use of technological tools required to feel included in the system. In addition, they indicate practices associated with financial inclusion, highlighting formal and informal indebtedness and scarce savings. The results are discussed in light of the emerging categories of study population and theoretical background. It is suggested that financial capacities, as mechanisms that contribute to economic inclusion, are a dimension that should be highlighted in research and intervention, based on plans and programs aimed at the active ageing of older adults in Chile.