LEISURE AS A SPACE FOR LEARNING, CULTURAL MEDIATION, AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: CONTRIBUTIONS OF LEV VYGOTSKY'S CULTURAL-HISTORICAL THEORY

Abstract

This article aimed to understand how Lev Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Theory contributes to interpreting leisure as a space for learning, cultural mediation, and human development. This is a qualitative bibliographic study based on the analysis of classical and contemporary works in leisure studies and Cultural-Historical Psychology. The discussion was organized around the categories of cultural mediation, social interaction, imagination, creativity, and the Zone of Proximal Development, establishing a dialogue between Vygotsky's theoretical contributions and the field of leisure studies. The findings indicate that the educational potential of leisure does not result merely from the existence of free time or participation in specific activities, but from the social and cultural mediations embedded in lived experiences. Games, play, sports, artistic expressions, and other leisure practices constitute privileged contexts for cultural appropriation, knowledge construction, cooperation, and human development. It is concluded that Cultural-Historical Theory broadens the understanding of leisure by providing theoretical foundations capable of explaining the learning and developmental processes present in these experiences, reinforcing leisure as an educational, cultural, and formative dimension of social life.