Anais
Resumo do trabalho
Estudos Organizacionais · Simbolismos, Culturas e Identidades
Título
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTICES AMONG BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS AT UNIOESTE (FRANCISCO BELTRÃO CAMPUS) AND THEIR PARTICULARITIES THROUGHOUT THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
Palavras-chave
Physical activity
University students
Practice theory
Autores
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Isabela Rodrigues Borges
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Gabriel Henrique Pimenta IsboliUNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DO CENTRO OESTE (UNICENTRO)
Resumo
Introdução
This study investigates physical activity (PA) practices among Business Administration undergraduates at UNIOESTE, Francisco Beltrão, through Shove, Pantzar, and Watson's (2012) practice theory. It explores how PA engagement declines amidst academic and professional pressures, reconfiguring PA's meaning to functional stress management. The research identifies material, competence, and social barriers, offering insights for university policies to promote student well-being.
Problema de Pesquisa e Objetivo
How do physical activity (PA) practices manifest among Business Administration students at UNIOESTE, Francisco Beltrão, and what is their perceived impact on well-being? Objective: To comprehend the configuration of PA practices among these students, identifying activity types, frequencies, and changes throughout their degree programme. This includes understanding how academic and professional demands influence these dynamics.
Fundamentação Teórica
This study is theoretically grounded in Shove, Pantzar, and Watson's (2012) practice theory, which posits that practices comprise interwoven elements: materials, competences, and meanings. This framework enables analysis of how physical activity practices emerge, persist, and transform by tracking the reconfiguration of these elements. It reveals how external pressures trigger negotiation among them, explaining changes in daily routines and priorities.
Metodologia
A qualitative, descriptive research approach was employed. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted (November–December 2024), involving Business Administration undergraduates at UNIOESTE, ensuring equitable representation by year and gender. Data collection ceased upon theoretical saturation. Content analysis (Bardin, 2016) guided the systematic treatment and interpretation of empirical material. Generative AI tools assisted with textual revision and translation into British English, without influencing research data.
Análise dos Resultados
Analysis reveals a documented decline in PA engagement throughout the degree, driven by academic/professional pressures. This leads to a reconfiguration of PA's meaning as a functional tool for stress management. Barriers include lack of time, financial constraints, and physical injuries, particularly impacting collective sports, fostering a shift to individual activities (e.g., walking, weight training). These dynamics highlight constant negotiation among materials, competences, and meanings.
Conclusão
The study confirms a decline in student PA, reframing it as a reconfiguration of practices driven by academic/professional pressures. This involves a renegotiation of materials, competences, and meanings, where PA becomes a utilitarian tool. Findings indicate shifts towards individual activities due to time and resource constraints, underscoring the dominance of academic "projects". Universities must develop policies that deeply understand these dynamics, focusing on material structures and time flexibility to foster healthier lifestyles.
Contribuição / Impacto
This research offers critical insights for university health promotion policies, moving beyond incentives to address the complex interplay of materials, competences, and meanings in students' PA practices. It highlights the need for interventions that acknowledge time, financial, and infrastructural constraints, particularly for students balancing work and study. By illuminating how PA integrates with "dominant projects," the study provides a nuanced understanding for fostering well-being and quality of life within higher education, contributing to both administration and public health fields.
Referências Bibliográficas
Main reference: "Shove, E., Pantzar, M., & Watson, M. (2012). The Dynamics of Social Practice: Everyday Life and how it Changes. SAGE Publications." This study also draws on extensive literature regarding university student physical activity and well-being, including works by Alkhateeb et al. (2019), Carballo-Fazanes et al. (2020), Deliens et al. (2015), Roberts et al. (2024), and Thomas et al. (2019), among others.