Recreación como estrategia de integración social en un país en crisis. Prácticas de animación y recreación educativa en Uruguay (1955-1985)

The article presents some findings of research on organized recreation practices in educational institutions in Uruguay, focusing on the historical process by which recreation was separated from the field of physical education to become a professional profile of its own. Based on the assumption that halfway through the 20th century there was a break with the foundational hygienist matrix and thus recreation began to distance itself from the hegemonic field of physical education, some key experiences for the introduction of a sociocultural and educational perspective are highlighted with a focus on memory studies. The survey focused on secondary sources (mainly documents and chronicles of the time) which allowed contextualizing the period under review, in addition to interviews with actors from that period. The conclusion is that these experiences define a proper and local view of recreation, oriented to education and social integration.