The Leisure Conceptions of Technical-Administrative Staff at the Federal University of Minas Gerais

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the conceptions and practices of leisure among technical-administrative staff in education working at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. The study is characterized as exploratory research, with a quantitative and qualitative approach. A total of 255 technical-administrative staff members with active ties to the institution participated in the research. They were assigned to academic or administrative units at the Pampulha Campus, Health Campus, and central units, such as the Faculty of Law, School of Architecture, and School of Nursing. They answered an electronic questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended questions. Based on the collected data, statistical analysis and content analysis were conducted to build the results. The research showed that most respondents understand leisure as fun during free time, as rest and a break from routine, and that its practice improves quality of life, physical and mental health, contributing to stress reduction and social well-being, although factors such as lack of time, working hours, and exhausting routines proved to be obstacles to leisure practices. We conclude that the conceptions about the term demonstrate how much the reductionist view of leisure is still present, and that the intersection of social, economic, and cultural factors affects the possibilities of engaging in leisure in the daily lives of these staff members.