A UNIVERSIDADE ABERTA À TERCEIRA IDADE: UM BEM PÚBLICO PARA O BEM-ESTAR DA PESSOA IDOSA.

Education is a social field marked by struggles, alliances, and conflicts. The Open University for the Third Age (UNATI or, in English, u3a) is part of this social field and is not exempt from the conflicts between education aimed at the development and quality of life of older adults and education focused on the market and productivity. Therefore, the objective of this article is to analyze UNATI as a public good, meaning a good whose access should not result in the exclusion or rivalry of others. Methodologically, this is an exploratory and bibliographic study. The development of this article is based on concepts developed by Bourdieu (1996; 2003), Gramsci (1982), and Marx (1983), along with other references related to senior citizens. Finally, the article demonstrates how the UNATI program at the State University of Maringá-PR impacts the lives of the elderly, highlighting positive outcomes in their existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]