EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL BARRIERS TO WOMEN’S LEISURE:

PROCESSES OF INTERNALIZATION AND GENDER INEQUALITIES

Abstract

Leisure constitutes a central element of well being and plays an important role in the quality of life. However, access to and experiences o f leisure do not occur equitably between men and women, as they are shaped by structural and symbolic inequality . Understanding the barriers to women’s leisure, especially the processes through which these barriers are internalized and their repercussions, is essential to problematizing and overcoming the limits that still restrict the full enjoyment of leisure. This study aimed to analyze the external and internal barriers to women’s leisure, emphasizing the internalization mechanisms that contribute to the reproduction of gender inequalities. Sixteen articles published in the journals Licere and Revista Brasileira de Estudos do Lazer were selected, and their results were analyzed and organized into the follo wing categories: external barriers, internal barriers, and intervention proposals. The analyses revealed the interdependence between structural and subjective factors, highlighting how the internalization of guilt, self demand, and self sacrifice directly impacted women’s leisure experiences. Finally, this study points to the need for broader investigations that consider, in addition to social and economic aspects, the psychological and cultural dimensions that permeate women’s leisure.