A arbitragem em futebol como projeto de trabalho de mulheres

Abstract

This thesis is about women’s professional projects in Brazilian football refereeing; it examines the education and performance of women referees, and the intersections of gender in their careers building. The research aims to understand the paths taken by women referees in building their professional careers, considering the opportunities and barriers that arise in this process. The research in social sciences allows approaches between the actions of people and life context, helping to understand their meanings, thus the qualitative approach supported the look and processes of this investigation. The semi-structured interview was the instrument used in data collection with eleven female referees from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in full activity. The interviews were conducted over the phone, recorded in audio, and later transcribed and reviewed by the referees. The speeches were analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. We observed in this research that the women referees' experiences with sports and physical practices in childhood and youth constituted their identities and are linked to their choice of a career as a football referee. The sports engagement appears in active participation in physical education classes, representation in school sports in different modalities, and the search for sports projects after school. The main obstacles at the beginning of their careers are the physical issues; reconciling the demands of social and family life; and the violence suffered. The job projects were characterized by resilience, satisfaction, and personal and professional fulfillment, fueled by the dream to work in football. Overcoming financial injustices leads female referees to supplement their budget with other sources to maintain their autonomy and continue to work in refereeing. The virtual women referee groups work as a support and empowerment for referees. The interviewees believe that their arrival in refereeing contributed to reducing gender inequalities in the field, by activating resistance strategies such as occupying the field, training, and dedication in practices and matches. So, it was concluded that the projects are built and implemented in the tension between the efforts undertaken by the female referees, the professional recognition they received, and selfrealization, characteristic elements of boundaryless careers. These findings encourage us to expand perceptions through research on female football referee careers at regional and state levels and propose educational actions on gender issues in sports that reverberate in the field of education and the performance of women referees.