Entre os nossos: lazer e sociabilidade a partir de um Quintal familiar em uma favela do Rio de Janeiro - RJ

Abstract

This dissertation aims to understand the meanings and significance of leisure and sociability practices that take place in and around an urban backyard, a shared family lot located in a favela in the suburban area of Rio de Janeiro. The frequency with which its residents and friends and neighbors gather is high, making the backyard central to their lives. Through ethnography, it was observed that, in addition to hosting formal celebrations, the backyard is also a place for informal and spontaneous meetings, characterizing a continuous dynamic of sociability. The concept of “events” is used as a key category, encompassing both parties and informal gatherings, where the desire to “be together” is the main organizing principle. Quintal 107, the result of a collective self-construction process, serves as a reference territory for its residents and regular visitors, where leisure practices and both material and subjective transformations intertwine. The research investigates how the actions of transforming the place are connected to the significance of events in people‘s lives, arguing that these gatherings enhance both the transformations of the land and social relations, strengthening the group‘s cohesion. Thus, sociability is reaffirmed through the connection between leisure and the backyard, where collective memories are created and shared, forming a support network anchored in Quintal 107 as a meaningful territory.