On the way to the party: a case study of methodological procedures applied in a research on leisure

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the interests, values and meanings of the participation of German descendants in the 11th Oktoberfest, held in Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná, approaching it as a public policy activity and a space for leisure experience. The research combined bibliographic, documentary and exploratory methods, structured in three stages. In the initial stage, official documents and local newspapers were analyzed about the structuring and organization of the event. The second stage included preliminary observations at pre-Oktoberfest parties, allowing adjustments in the methods and categories of analysis. Finally, the third stage consisted of participant observation during Oktoberfest and structured interviews with 43 descendants of Europeans, classified into four categories: organizers, workers, tourists and local participants. The data were collected and analyzed under a dialectical approach, considering dance as a central cultural manifestation of leisure, in addition to other festive elements. The study revealed that Oktoberfest represents a space for social and cultural interaction, enabling the experience of leisure through artistic, gastronomic and traditional manifestations. The values and meanings attributed to "partying" and "dancing" varied according to the historical and individual contexts of the participants, standing out as dynamic elements influenced by social, economic and political factors. The research emphasizes the importance of cultural events as promoters of identity and belonging, in addition to their relevance to public policies aimed at leisure and culture.