Community sport and social inclusion: international perspectives

Schaillée, Hebe; Haudenhuyse, Reinhard; Bradt, Lieve

doi:10.1080/17430437.2019.1565380

Cited by 63 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In recent years, the contribution of sport toward the achievement of this social goal has been largely argued, with several academics underlining that sport can be used as a vehicle to address certain aspects of social inclusion [1][2][3][4][5][6]. If, on the one hand, there is substantial agreement on the positive impact of sport at a societal level, academics argue that more research is needed in order to understand the conditions in which sport may act on social inclusion [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The investigation of such conditions is still in its infancy [12][13][14][15] and would provide a strategic and agency-focused approach for further planning of sport-based interventions [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Section: Sport For Promoting Social Inclusion Of Vulnerable Youth: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenges of Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport: The Experience of a Sport-Based Initiative in Italy

2021

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Social inclusion is broadly recognized as a priority to accomplish at an international level. While the influence of sport toward this social mission has been largely debated, literature lacks contributions capturing the challenges of sport when promoting social inclusion. Based in case study methodology, the investigation explores the impact of a multi-stakeholder sport initiative developing social inclusion for socially vulnerable youth and the related challenges of the intervention through in-depth interviews with diverse program stakeholders. The main findings indicated the emergence of four challenges: limited transferability of program outcomes for youth in living conditions of severe vulnerability; drop-out of youth in living conditions of severe vulnerability; limited sustainability of program social workers; lack of sports club management skills. The work highlights some limits of sport-based programs for social inclusion and discusses some implications for practice to maximize the societal impact of such interventions.

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Section: Sport For Promoting Social Inclusion Of Vulnerable Youth: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenges of Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport: The Experience of a Sport-Based Initiative in Italy

2021

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“…Sport, among others because its attractiveness among youth, may be a context of interest in which such multifocal response can start from, on the condition that it enables to reach the 'hard-to-reach'. Participation in sport is increasingly considered an effective instrument to enhance the ability of the most vulnerable in society to cope with adversity [9][10][11][12][13]. For children and adolescents, sport has shown to be related to reduced anxiety, higher selfefficacy, self-confidence and social benefits such as higher investment in meaningful relationships and feelings of connectedness [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The above aspects make the community sport setting a fitted context for meeting like-minded people in a safe and accessible manner, and potentially a powerful tool to reach socially disadvantaged groups. Consequently, community sport has earned a place on the global, European and local social policy agendas [9][10][11][12][13], and is increasingly being integrated, particularly in the developing world or in divided societies, in community development strategies to contribute to reconciliation and peace, and to pursue the Millennium Development Goals (http://www.un.org/ millenniumgoals/). Sport-for-development, as it is called in this context, has been, among others, implemented to tackle discrimination and encourage respect; bridge social, cultural and ethnic divides; combat non-communicable diseases and HIV/AIDS; contribute to gender equality; and healing the psychological wounds of traumatized victims of natural or human-made disaster [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How community sport programs may improve the health of vulnerable population groups: a program theory

Veken

Lauwerier

Willems

2020

Int J Equity Health

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Background: Groups at risk of exclusion from society appear to have a lower health status and more health-related problems. Prevention efforts in these groups are not always successful, and new ways have to be sought by which health messages can be delivered. Many agree on low-threshold sport activities, also called 'community sports', to be a powerful tool to target socially vulnerable groups. Until now, it has not been investigated how and when such sport initiatives may be able to impact health outcomes in socially vulnerable populations. This study aims at developing a program theory that clarifies the mechanisms and necessary conditions for sport programs to be effective in health promotion. Such a program theory may constitute a backbone for developing health promotion initiatives within a sport for development setting. Methods: We developed a program theory using a realist research design. We build on an extensive data set consisting of the insights of key stakeholders and participants of various community sport organizations at the one hand, and on relevant theoretical frameworks at the other hand. Data were collected through participatory observations of soccer trainings and related group activities, interviews with key stakeholders and participants, document analysis and two focus groups with stakeholders from associated social partnership organizations. Results: The health promoting effect of community sport on socially vulnerable groups seems not to result from an improved physical condition or sport-technical skills as such, but from processes of experiential learning among peers, incremental responsibility-taking and reflexivity. On the condition that participants feel safe, are stimulated to reflect and enabled to become actor of themselves and their situation, these processes are likely to lead to increased self-esteem, self-efficacy and motivation to set and pursue personal (health) goals. The key-influencing factor in these processes is the coach, who therefore needs to be adequately skilled in, for example, social vulnerability, motivational coaching and group dynamics. Conclusions: The program theory developed in this study offers insights in the mechanisms proper to, and necessary conditions for community sport to be a lever for health promotion in socially vulnerable groups. Motivational processes at individual level and group connectivity are at the basis of personal health goal-setting. One of the necessary conditions is that these processes are guided by community sport coaches skilled in the meaning and impact of social exclusion, and capable of connecting with the target group.

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“…Notwithstanding the diversity of organizational formats, policy frameworks, funding schemes and professional practices, community-sport programs and provisions have a number of common characteristics (Haudenhuyse et al , 2018), including accessibility, affordability, local focus, modest budgets, relatively informal structures, using infrastructural facilities, enabling collaboration between actors in the fields of sport, welfare, youth and the community (Cuskelly, 2004; Doherty et al , 2014; Theeboom et al , 2010). Perceived as an alternative to mainstream sport provisions such as organized sports clubs (Schaillee et al , 2019), community sport is a flexible, adaptable (semi-)informal, people-centered approach, aimed at lowering the thresholds to participation in order to address the deficiencies of mainstream sport provisions (Haudenhuyse et al , 2018; Hylton and Totten, 2013). Hylton and Totten (2008) characterized community sports as “a form of intervention in sport and recreation which in some way addresses inequalities inherent in more established, mainstream, sports” (p. 80).…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Community-sport service provision, participant satisfaction, and participation

Liang-jun

Wang

Chen

et al. 2019

IJSMS

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Purpose Since 2014, “sport for all” has been promoted as a new national strategy in China, which injects powerful dynamism and vitality for its development in numerous aspects. However, there has been very little feedback on sport service provision in community, and the satisfaction level of community participants is largely unmeasured. To promote physical and mental health of residents and form a stronger foundation of sport culture, more attention should be directed to community sports. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of community-sport service provisions on participants’ satisfaction and, in turn, on their sport participation behavior. Design/methodology/approach Community-sport program participants in China (n=576) responded to a survey measuring the proposed concepts. Findings Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that community-sport services in the areas of sport facility, grassroots sport organizations and sport activity programs had strong influences on participant satisfaction and, in turn, their desire for participation, which highlighted the demand for high-quality sport service provision by community. Originality/value The study contributed to the literature by proposing two clear dimensions (core sport service and peripheral sport service) for the measurement of public sport service provision in community sports. A second theoretical contribution of the study relates to the clarification of the relationship between the two dimensions of community-sport service provision (both core and peripheral services) and community participants’ satisfaction levels.

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Community sport and social inclusion: international perspectives

Cited by 63 publications

References 30 publications

The Challenges of Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport: The Experience of a Sport-Based Initiative in Italy

The Challenges of Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport: The Experience of a Sport-Based Initiative in Italy

How community sport programs may improve the health of vulnerable population groups: a program theory

Community-sport service provision, participant satisfaction, and participation

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