It is known that the number of old people is growing nowadays and, especially, that of old women due to the fact that life expectancy is higher among females. The 08 women that took part in this study are between 74 and 93 years old, belong to middle and upper class and live in a residential home for the elderly, placed in the Brazilian city of Recife. The aim of this work is to investigate the roles played by these women in the family life cycle. It has been possible thanks to the individual interviews that were recorded and transcribed in order to classify them according to the subjects first and then
according to the categories of analysis, based on the Thematic Analysis. Collected data point out that these old women adjusted themselves to the standards of the twentieth century society. They were responsible for the housework and well-being of their children and husbands and gave up professional life when got married or had children. They adopted a subordinated behaviour and their husbands
played the role of suppliers, that is, they followed the traditional family model. Nevertheless, two old women did not achieve the standards dictated by the social circumstances of that time. This fact points out the first steps forward the social evolution of women. The eight participants think that in the past old people were appreciated by their families and respected by society, despite the few laws existing to
protect them. Today, they say the treatment given to them by social and family circles has not changed. However, they consider their family relationships to be satisfactory. It is important to say that the whole group of old women participating on this work played the roles of mother and
grandmother and, some of them, great-grandmother. It must be highlighted the importance of these women in their families through the roles played during the life cycle, taking care and educating their relatives or giving affective and financial support. This work is expected to contribute to the increase
of researches about the roles played by women during their lives and to contribute to the current bibliography about this subject. Finally, it is expected that this work make people reflect on old age so as to subsidize projects to improve the quality of life of old women
