REGULAR SESSION INFORMATION
Session: National Identity, Democratization and the Promise of Leisure II
Session Convener(s): Ishwar Modi, India International Institute of Social Sciences, Jaipur
Chair: Ishwar Modi, India International Institute of Social Sciences, Jaipur
Comments: This session is organized by ISA RC 13
---------I) Leisure and Identities in Latin America: Trends and Challenges
Rejane Penna Rodrigues, Ministry of Sports, Brazil
II) Leisure, Cultural Diversity and Tourism in Latin America
Vânia de Fátima Noronha Alves, PUC-Minas, Minas Gerais
III) Democratization vs Leisure Participation: A Sociological Study of Youth Leisure in Tehran
Mohammad Taghi Sheykhi, Al-Zahra University, Tehran
ABSTRACTS
Session description
The contemporary rise of nationalist sentiment in many parts of the world is regarded as an aspect of globalization.
As political ideology has receded, it is to some extent replaced by national identity. The push to better the human
condition is central to changing ideologies. In affirming that identity, leisure plays a crucial part. Leisure is culturedependent and focuses on the general wellbeing of individuals and societies. It is used in contexts such as
development, freedom, life satisfaction and happiness. Evidence over the past three decades has shown that as
incomes of individuals and societies have risen, so have standards of living. Happiness indices have risen in a
majority of nations. Over recent decades, economic development, democratisation and increasing social tolerance
have increased the propensity of people to have free choice. This in turn has led to higher levels of happiness and
human development on a global scale. Contributors are invited to make presentations consistent with this RC13
conference sub-theme at the IIS Congress to be held in Delhi February 16-19, 2012. The theme of the Congress is:
After Western Hegemony: Social Science and its Publics.
Papers
I) Leisure and Identities in Latin America: Trends and Challenges
Rejane Penna Rodrigues, Ministry of Sports, Brazil
Currently, Brazil has more than 190 million inhabitants. This high population quota places the country among the
five most populous in the world. But that population distributed unevenly in the territory in densely populated
regions and other almost deserted. Over 80% of the population lives in urban areas, a consequence of a process fast
and disorderly migration that created problems in face of a huge demand for basic services as water supply,
sanitation, garbage collection, transportation, among other social policies. Added to these aspects, we have a
significant cultural diversity expressed in a population of more than 300 thousand indigenous people, in the
quilombo communities (formed by descendants of runaway slaves) and others who live in precarious situation.
Against this background of needs essential to a dignified life, sport and leisure facilities are included in the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution of Brazil as factors of social development and quality of life of all people. Our
Constitution guarantees, in the art. 217, the duty of the State in promoting sports practices formal, non formal and
leisure. The art. 218 stands for responsibilities to promote and encourage scientific development and technological
expertise.
The Sports Ministry was created in order to ensure the setting of a social policy of the sport and leisure focus on the
following guidelines: democratization and universal access to practices and knowledge about sport and leisure to all;
development of educational activities in the perspective of human emancipation, community development and
transformation of government policies on state policies; valuing cultural diversity of sports and leisure activities,
especially those created in the country; joint research, educational, information and management practices of public
policies, accounting experience necessary for qualification of educational policies for sports and leisure as a factor in
human development, social inclusion and cultural; intersectoral action; articulation of national and international
cooperation between ministries, universities, states, municipalities and other partners for the tract of the demands of
sport and leisure facilities under its responsibility, guided by respect for autonomy, cultural sovereignty of people
and mutually supportive cooperation.
Implement programs and projects in each region of the country, investing in the articulation with the society
member and strengthening partnerships, supporting community initiatives and stimulating groups to organize
themselves and occupate spaces and public equipments (squares, parks, soccer fields...), experiencing cooperative
and leisure attitudes as well as the democratic access for people of all ages are some of the useful strategies to
develop participative public policies.
The intersectorial actions contributes to reach our goals, with projects developed in partnership with other
Ministries like the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Human Rights and
Ministry of Culture. About the international community, we have been tried higher exchange with Latin-american
countries and the CPLP, beyond the policies developed by the Sports Ministry.
Another important element in the Brazilian policies are the National Conferences of Sports and Leisure. The 3ed
National Conference of Sports and Leisure, for example, occurred this year (2010), involving 230 thousand people
and progressed significantly to realize the idea of the “Sport and leisure as a real social right”. The Deccenial Plan
for Sports and Leisure discussion – that consists in 10 years for 10 goals to up rise Brazil as one of the 10 most developed
countries in this area - , reaffirms the necessity of fund to turn it into a long-term sustainable project. One of this plan's
goals is to harness the economic and social potential of mega-events that will occur in Brazil, like FIFA World Cup
in 2014 and The Olympic and Paralympics Games in Rio-2016. It means also provide an effective access to sports
and leisure for children and teenagers, expend academic training in sports e the development of athletes career, the
rising of the sport results and also the quality of the social programs, like PELC – Sport and Leisure of the City –
and Segundo Tempo – Second time.
The Sports Ministry wants to consolidate the sports and leisure policies as State Policies that, beyond the promotion
of the productive system, will also make possible the emergence of new employment and income opportunities, and
rise the administrative and technological capacity of the country to execute big sports events.
These factors turn the Brazilian Sports and Leisure Policies a strategic tool to upset our country development, witch
intents to be the fifth most developed economy in 2016 and one of the ten most developed countries in the row of
the Olympic subject.
II) Leisure, Cultural Diversity and Tourism in Latin America
Vânia de Fátima Noronha Alves, PUC-Minas, Minas Gerais
Latin America was colonized almost entirety by the Ibero-American countries. Spain conquered most of the
territory and Portugal colonized Brazil, the largest country in the continent and also the most populated which has
today approximately 190 million people. The United Kingdom colonized lands also, and their influence is small
when compared to the others. Aboriginal populations lived in these lands, such as the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs and
thousands of indigenous ethnic groups, as is the case of Brazil, with everyone sharing with different cultural
universes. To Brazil were also imported Africans who were the ones doing slave work. This mixture of social
groups (Europeans, Africans and Indians) made Latin America develop a rich and multi-cultural diversity as
expressed in religion, festivals, dances, art, literature, painting, sports, party celebrations and even through tourism,
among others. These manifestations are increasingly present in the leisure practices of the people and through them,
different subjects are created, both individual and collective plans. The goal of this work is to present some of these
contexts.
III) Democratization vs Leisure Participation: A Sociological Study of Youth Leisure in Tehran
Mohammad Taghi Sheykhi, Al-Zahra University, Tehran
The Objective of the paper is to explore how democratization affects leisure participation especially by the youth.
Democratization contributes to the cultural diffusion, movement of culture and new values among different sectors
of people with a focus on the youth. The paper also proves how cultural identity of the youth is ever subject to
change, and that allows them to have better self-concept which is derived from perceived membership in a relevant
social group. Therefore, democratization is an important factor in shaping one’s identity. Such a process leads to
more leisure participation. Hence, development of increasing leisure possibilities must always continue in a
democratizing society, and the absence of which creates restless and challenges particularly for
the growing youth. In the past, and before the societies were democratized, leisure pursuits were at the disposal of
certain or higher classes. However, democratization creates new expectations. It needs to be noted new
expectations. It needs to be noted that democratization is not only a political concept/notion, but more a
sociological concept today. That is to say, democratization provides the opportunity to participate in leisure, and the
new social networks have strengthened it.
Appearance of newly-found facilities, more means in different kinds, and increase in social networks has caused the
youth to become highly concerned to find more leisure in their lives. Similarly, due to increasing educational
achievements by the youth, and the appearance of increasing social, economic and cultural change in the lives of the
youth in new times, they have been very motivated about their leisure. There are two forces which do not let
satisfaction be ever-lasting. That is, first the youth become habituated to what they get, and then carve more, or
something else. Secondly, they compare what they have with others. In the present research, the youth of age
groups 15-29 have been examined through different variable to measure their leisure participation. Policy issues and
the quality of democratization, all play role in the quality of leisure among the youth, not only in Tehran, Iran, but in
every other country, with special reference to urban areas. The Methodology used in the present research is a
combination of theoretical frameworks and empirical realities ___ assessing about 489 samples in different
neighbourhoods of Tehran City. Findings prove the relationship between democratization on the one hand, and
quality of leisure, general quality of life, income and employment on the other hand. Conclusion indicates that the
youth not only in Iran, but around the world are expecting increasing means of leisure. The research reached the
conclusion that many youth were not satisfied with their leisure pursuits.