Exploring the relationship between social class and sport event volunteering

Abstract

There is a dearth of research that examines the relationship between sport event volunteering and social class. This article contributes to this gap by exploring the social class of volunteers involved in the running of a series of major international field hockey events held between 2015 and 2017 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The authors draw upon longitudinal research that utilises demographic information and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 46 event volunteers. To gauge the social composition of this volunteer pool, the authors first discern the social class categories of the study's participants.Following analysis of the qualitative data, the authors then examine how the interplay between social class and Pierre Bourdieu's principal forms of cultural, economic and social capital shapes the volunteer workforce, and how they might operate to inhibit under-represented groups from volunteering. In parallel to the class analysis of the participants, the authors provide novel insights into the organisational amassing of an event volunteer workforce. The article concludes by considering the implications of the nexus between social class, capitals, and inclusion within event volunteering and its management.

Sustainability-Sport-Physical Activity

“…One possible explanation for this is that access to sports may considerably depend on the general economic situation of a society and the social status of its citizens, as early as during childhood [ 137 ]. Certain factors, for example one’s social class, may diminish their chances to actively pursue some sport or participate as volunteers in organizing different sports events [ 138 ]. Andersen and Bakken [ 139 ] draw attention to the difference seen across social groups in terms of participation, with members of higher status social groups participating more in organized sport activities; Gemar [ 140 ] adds that commitment to exercise is also influenced by the type of available social capital.…”

Lockdowns and Physical Activities: Sports in the Time of COVID

“…Sport event volunteering can also be similarly effective for the purpose of increasing one’s social capital [ 68 ], which can be attained by volunteers to span differences, even in social standing or status. However, this possibility often remains only theoretical because those who belong to a lower social class are oftentimes left out of the opportunity to volunteer [ 69 ].…”

The Role of Hybrid Events in Reviving the Hotel Industry in Egypt after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

“…Hybrid events are a new type of event that demands meeting planners to push their creativity, planning, execution, and measurement skills by combining technology with traditional live events to generate new experiences and content distribution systems (Simons, 2019;Nica & Laceanu, 20201). Therefore, a hybrid event is an event that takes place in a physical location but is simultaneously broadcast online (Badurina et al, 2018;Hayton & Blundell, 2021). The speakers, experts, and panellists are mainly at the physical location but may also attend online (Hanaei et al, 2020;Hagen, 2021).…”