The period since 1974, when major reorganisation led to the development of new local government structures in most parts of England and Wales, has seen the growing politicization of local government activities, and the emergence of leisure policy as a significant concern for local authorities. This thesis examines the implications of party poll tics at the local level for leisure policy by reviewing expenditure on leisure by all English local authorities and by undertaking a case study of the development of leisure policy in a Metropolitan District.

Submitted by Daniele Mendonça (daniele.mendonca@ucsal.br) on 2018-06-06T13:10:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAOJOSESILVA.pdf: 1540622 bytes, checksum: c20918bd9a11e5e0442860866101a8e1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rosemary Magalhães (rosemary.magalhaes@ucsal.br) on 2018-06-06T13:12:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAOJOSESILVA.pdf: 1540622 bytes, checksum: c20918bd9a11e5e0442860866101a8e1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-06T13:12:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAOJOSESILVA.pdf: 1540622 bytes, checksum: c20918bd9a11e5e0442860866101a8e1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-27 / Esta dissertação compõe o conjunto de estudos realizados na Universidade Católica do Salvador, no Mestrado em Políticas Sociais e Cidadania, na Linha de Pesquisa - Políticas Sociais Universais, Institucionalização e Controle. Tem como objeto de estudo o desenvolvimento de gestão participativa do Programa de Esporte e Lazer da Cidade (PELC), enquanto política pública social de governo considerando uma análise das Diretrizes de 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, e 2016. Problematiza os desafios e contradições que são identificadas na proposta das Diretrizes que tratam de gestão participativa do Programa de Esporte e Lazer da Cidade (PELC), enquanto política social. Responde uma pergunta científica específica que diz respeito aos fundamentos do PELC, segundo os documentos oficiais, para identificar os limites na sua implementação gestora. As fontes foram os documentos oficiais das Diretrizes do PELC nos anos de 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 e 2016 do Ministério do Esporte. Quanto ao método de pesquisa foram realizadas análise de conteúdo dos documentos. Na análise foram destacados os fundamentos referentes às relações sociais estabelecidas - que orientam a gestão e participação dos envolvidos com o PELC. Os dados foram expostos de forma descritiva através de quadros. A discussão dos dados analisados nos possibilitou apresentar contradições que existem no que está escrito nos documentos. Para analisar as determinações e explicar as contradições e limites nos valemos da teoria que explica o que são políticas públicas e como as relações são estabelecidas em uma sociedade dividida em classes sociais como é o caso do Brasil. Concluímos que, apesar de ser anunciado um programa democrático, participativo, universalizante, para elevar o padrão cultural esportivo da população, existem limites estruturais, contradições e que inviabilizam muitas iniciativas de participação e expansão, enquanto política social. Isto decorre destas políticas estarem determinadas pela organização econômica neoliberal que privilegia políticas assistencialistas, focais, compensatórias e não políticas verdadeiramente democráticas e universais. / This dissertation compiles the set of studies carried out at the Universidade Católica do Salvador, in the Master in Social Policies and Citizenship, in the Research Line - Universal Social Policies, Institutionalization and Control. The objective of this study is the development of participatory management of the City Sport and Leisure Program (PELC), as a public social policy of government considering an analysis of the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 Guidelines. It challenges the challenges and contradictions which are identified in the proposal of the Guidelines that deal with participatory management of the City Sport and Leisure Program (PELC), as a social policy. It answers a specific scientific question that concerns the foundations of the PELC, according to the official documents, to identify the limits in its management implementation. The sources were the official documents of the PELC Guidelines in the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 of the Ministry of Sports. As for the research method, the document content analysis was performed. In the analysis, the foundations for established social relations - which guide the management and participation of those involved with the PELC - were highlighted. The data were described descriptively through tables. The discussion of the analyzed data allowed us to present contradictions that exist in what is written in the documents. To analyze the determinations and to explain the contradictions and limits we use the theory that explains what public policies are and how the relations are established in a society divided in social classes as is the case of Brazil. We conclude that, despite the announcement of a democratic, participative and universalizing program to raise the sports cultural pattern of the population, there are structural limits, contradictions and that make many initiatives of participation and expansion unfeasible as a social policy. This stems from these policies being determined by the neoliberal economic organization that favors genuinely democratic and universal welfare, focal, compensatory and non-political policies.

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This comparative study assessed the usefulness of the convergence thesis as a tool for understanding developments in leisure, recreation and sport in New Zealand and Malaysia. The study examined the interrelationship between 'global' and 'local' or 'contingent' factors and their impact upon leisure behaviour, leisure policy and leisure structures. 'Local' factors included institutional arrangements (notably political ones) and national cultural practices. A social history of New Zealand and Malaysia with particular reference to leisure, sport and recreation and national cultural practices was provided as a context for discussion of these issues. The study utilised a mixture of archival and library research and semi-structured interview, and was guided by an explicit comparative framework, concentrating on the development of leisure, sport and recreation in the two countries between 1970 and 2002. Interviews with 'key players' in both countries captured valuable data in the form of 'insiders' views' on leisure behaviour, policy and structure. These data were analysed with the relevance of the convergence thesis in mind. This study shows that contemporary leisure behaviour in New Zealand and Malaysia is shaped by the media and is highly commercialised, placing a high value on entertainment, and involves increasingly passive forms of participation. Informal sport and individualised recreational activities are replacing organised team-based sports in popularity. Leisure behaviour trends have led governments in both countries to encourage greater participation in sport and physical activity and to encourage private sector ventures into leisure-related products, services and infra-structures in the form of private-public partnerships. In terms of leisure policy, developments in leisure, recreation and, noticeably, sport, in Malaysia and New Zealand have been shaped by the wider agendas of the governing political parties. This is particularly noticeable at central government level. Individual political leaders in both countries have been influential in setting leisure-related policy. They had the vision to see that sport in particular might serve wider, national interests and that investments in sport could help raise the profiles of their countries in international markets and among trading organisations and the regulatory bodies that oversee trading practices. Malaysian and New Zealand governments seek to make leisure, sport and recreation policy supportive of other priorities. In Malaysia, the government legitimises its control over the policies which affect people's lives by appeals to Islamic principles and the need to put collective needs of nation building ahead of individual concerns for freedom. In terms of institutional, political, arrangements, this impacts at both central and local government levels in Malaysia. New Zealand, following a pluralist, Westminster, tradition of political representation, experiences regular changes in political management at central government level and a system of local government whereby local autonomy is jealously protected. Malaysia has resisted 'the global', by virtue of the nation-building policies of the Barisan Nasional, which has been in power since 1957. New Zealand's 'resistance' stems in part at least from the autonomy which local government enjoys. These experiences demonstrate that resistance to 'global' change can take varied forms at the 'local', contingent, level (Thorns, 1992). Differences in leisure structures reflect, once again, different agendas stemming from different political arrangements. The Malaysian government's approach is multi-Ministry, and micro-managed. In New Zealand, a 'hands off' approach via a quasi-autonomous non-government organisation (‘Quango'), became the favoured means of structuring central government leisure provision in the 1980s and 1990s. This was with a view to encouraging stability and consistency in leisure policy and provision in a pluralistic political system. Overall, and 'cautiously', this study provided support for the convergence thesis as a way to explain development in leisure, recreation and sport in New Zealand and Malaysia over the past 32 years. Although institutional arrangements and national cultural practices have provided some resistance to convergence processes, changing consumer sentiments may weaken such resistance in future.

Disabled people comprise seventeen per cent of all New Zealanders and face barriers to participation in community life. This research examines the ways in which two local authorities - Manukau City Council and Christchurch City Council - provide recreation opportunities for people with disabilities and how these local authorities implement national legislation, policies and strategies which bear upon the provision of recreation services for the disabled. To achieve these aims, a comparative method which uses primary (interview) and secondary (documentary) data, is adopted. Central government plays an important role in the provision of recreation to communities, including the disabled community. It develops legislation, strategies and policies that guide the provision of recreation services for people with disabilities at a local level. Local authorities provide ‘spaces’ for recreation including parks, waterways and facilities, as part of their wider services and programmes. Their services respond to broader, including national, concerns, but also reflect local priorities and needs, including those of other ‘special’ populations. The results of this research indicate that Manukau and Christchurch Cities consult the disabled community and its representatives and address the specific needs of this community. Both local authorities have policies which outline how disability issues will be addressed; a disability-specific position which acts as an “internal advocate” for the disabled community; and a reference group made up of members of the disabled community. In the case of Christchurch City Council, the “KiwiAble” programme, “KiwiAble Recreation Network”, “KiwiAble Leisure Card” and Inclusive Communities Coordinator are all disability-specific mechanisms that focus on the recreational needs of the disabled community. However, only one policy in these two cities - the Manukau City Council Disability Policy and Action Plan – draws explicit links to a national strategy. On the basis of these results, a number of recommendations are made for future research and local authority action. It is hoped that the current study will provide practical advice and examples which local authorities can adopt, to further enhance recreational provisions for people with disabilities.