Leisure in The Participatory Public Policies of Porto Alegre

A Study of the Municipal Administrations from 1994 to 2004

Abstract

The main objective of this work, which is based in a Master’s dissertation, was to identify and analyze the inclusion of Leisure as an area of the public policy of Porto Alegre. The methodology combined literature and document research. The former was made on the University of Brasilia and on the Methodist University of Piracicaba’s library system and was broadened by consultations to works indexed in CAPES and CEDES’ network, from the Ministry of Sports. The initial literature survey addressed the key issues: Leisure, Sport and Public Policies; Participatory Policies; Municipal Administration of Porto Alegre. The document research involved reports, planning, written records of events experienced in the everyday political action investigated, legislation and other documents of the City Hall of Porto Alegre during this historical period. The analyzed data indicated the specificity of the leisure public policies, in the following items: institutionality, main objective, priority, focus, logic of decision making and financing, where the participatory budget played a significant role and proved to be the touchstone of the discussions. The dissertation has identified factors that reveal innovations in policies, especially in terms of popular participation and, at the same time, limits and possibilities in the production, appropriation and experiences of the everyday life studied.