Esporte, criminalidade e políticas públicas em Uberlândia: um estudo das vivências e narrativas comunitárias

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze whether public sports and leisure policies in Uberlândia contribute to crime prevention and to the social transformation of residents of the São Jorge neighborhood. The research is based on the assumption that sports and leisure, when treated as social rights, play a fundamental role in promoting citizenship, social inclusion, and the reduction of vulnerabilities.

More specifically, the study seeks to investigate the accounts of four individuals who have or have not been involved in criminal activity, considering the presence or absence of public sports and leisure policies in their life experiences; to understand the positive effects of participation in sports and leisure projects on the lives of residents of the studied neighborhood; to compare the perceptions of both groups regarding the access, quality, and importance of public sports policies; and to evaluate the limits and possibilities of these policies as strategies for violence prevention in contexts of social vulnerability.

The study was conducted through interviews with four residents of the neighborhood, aiming to understand the life trajectories of individuals who did or did not have access to sports and leisure projects. Based on the analyses, the study sought to identify how these initiatives can positively influence the development of values, the strengthening of community bonds, and the prevention of risk behaviors. It concludes that promoting sports and leisure constitutes an important tool for social transformation, especially in contexts marked by inequality and vulnerability, such as the São Jorge neighborhood in Uberlândia.