The third age and leisure: analysis of the Brazilian Productions in the Human and Social sciences that related their objects to the leisure of the elderly (1994-2015)

Abstract

This study aims at mapping and qualitative analysis of Brazilian scientific productions in the Human and Social Sciences on the leisure of the elderly, between the years 1994 and 2015. In order to do that, were adopted the procedures of the ‘state of the art’ researches, complemented by the content analysis methodologic. The access to the productions for the constitution of the documental set was based on the consultation of the databases Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo) and Portal de Periódicos CAPES/MEC of the following indexed terms: ‘lazer idosos’, ‘lazer terceira idade’ e ‘lazer velhos’, with search variations to the female gender. In all, eight papers were analyzed, where it was found that the researches in the Human and Social Sciences on elderly leisure are still incipient, compared to the Health Sciences, and were developed predominantly in the Southeast region and in the Tourism and Psychology fields. Regarding the methodological structure, there is no predominance between quantitative and qualitative research and the main research instrument in both are the questionnaires, not having predominant analytical method. Finally, about the theoretical aspects, the analysis showed the low priority of the authors in developing the concepts of leisure and old age/old people/elderly, taking these categories as if they were given or were not in constant process of transformation.