Abstract

O ROMERO, Eduardo J. De La; JIMENEZ-SANCHEZ, Leobardo; JIMENEZ-VELAZQUEZ, Mercedes A.  and  CORTES CARRENO, J. C. Jorge. Pension program for the elderly in two rural communities: Santa María Tecuanulco and San Jerónimo Amanalco, Texcoco, México. agric. soc. desarro [online]. 2016, vol.13, n.4, pp.605-619. ISSN 1870-5472.

The federal Pension Program for the Elderly is analyzed in two rural communities of the municipality of Texcoco, Estado de México: Santa María Tecuanulco and San Jerónimo Amanalco. The senior citizen (SC) and his/her physical, social and economic condition are studied, and the difficulties of the program are identified, as well as their causes and consequences. The main problems for the SC are that he/she doesn’t have a pension and is incapable of attaining sufficient income for a dignified life, expressed in low income and health deterioration. These factors are manifested in a limited exercise of his/her social rights, economic and functional dependence on third parties, and low self-esteem (depression). The research uses the mixed method: qualitative and quantitative; techniques of social research, observation and participant observation are applied; the information was obtained through a questionnaire with 58 questions, interviewing 78 SCs. The results show that the federal program provides income to improve their quality of life, but does not fulfill the needs and expectations of the SC. The lack of documents requested to be considered part of the program is frequent; most SCs do not have a birth certificate, and the program rejects them without offering a different alternative, so they are not incorporated, and there is scarce empathy when catering to this population.

Keywords : senior citizen; quality of life; rural community; pension.