Physical Education and leisure in the production of the public and urban in the city of La Plata: from the democratic transition to the consolidation of neoliberalism

Abstract

This article problematizes the functions of Physical Education and leisure in policies implemented in the city of La Plata since the transition to democracy, in a process of opening and progressive consolidation of urban public spaces as a node of collective life. The political uses of sport and recreation during the celebration of La Plata’s centennial (1982) aimed to uphold a destabilized dictatorial order by appealing to the founding traditions and cultural heritage of La Plata. The mayors from the Radical party who governed during the rest of the 1980s promoted a recreational profile focused on the outskirts of the city and a proposal of aerobics for the masses. However, during the 1990s the Peronist administration prioritized promoting sports and internationalizing the foundational urban area from a cultural heritage perspective. Finally, in the 2000s, the transition towards an imaginary of a healthy and sustainable city began, with emphasis on physical activity and leisure for community wellbeing, incorporating new emerging and alternative practices. Among the findings, the contributions of physical education students and teachers to the co-production of the public and urban between the municipal government and the Platense community, mainly in critical situations, are highlighted.