Escrevivência de uma “eterna aprendiz” 50+: (re)existência ao estarismo na universidade do século XXI

Abstract

This study aims to understand the forms of (re)existence of a woman aged50+in the university context, through an autoethnographic approach groundedinlife-writing and supported by a literature review on the concepts of ageism, agediscrimination, age-related stigma, otherness, and aging in higher education. Aqualitative methodology is adopted, combining autobiographical narrativewiththeoretical foundations, enabling the articulation of personal experiencewithcritical reflections on the symbolic and institutional barriers faced by maturestudents. The analysis reveals that 21st-century universities still operateunder ageist logics that marginalize individuals outside the dominant agenorm, reinforcing generational stigmas and inequalities. However, the active presenceof women over 50 in higher education emerge as a powerful formof resistanceand subversion of these paradigms, affirming aging as a formative processandlifelong learning as a right. The study highlights the need for inclusive policiesand a more attentive view of age diversity in academic spaces, whilealsoaffirming life-writing as a strategy for visibility, social critique, and transformation.