Introduction: sport in Scandinavian societies

Sport for all in Scandinavia: sport policy and participation in Norway, Sweden and Denmark

“…First, compared to most other countries, participation rates in sport are considered high in Scandinavia (Seippel et al 2010). Second, sports are first and foremost activities for children and youth.…”

“…In Scandinavia, all three countries (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) have adopted sport for all as the main aim of their sport policy (Kulturdepartementet 1999-2000, Kulturministeriet 2009). Apparently, the policy is successful, whilst in the Scandinavian countries participation rates are high compared to most other countries (Seippel et al 2010). One explanation of this fact could be the social democratic ideology underpinning the Scandinavian welfare states and may be linked to a longer history of sport for all.…”

School sports is the solution: What is the problem?

“…Historically, sports in Sweden have been organised on two different fields: in school through compulsory PE and during leisure time through the activities in voluntary sports clubs, a division that is sometimes referred to as the "Scandinavian sports model" (cf. Bairner, 2010;Seippel et al, 2010). Cooperation has existed between the two fields, but has traditionally meant that PE has focused on sports for all children, with an emphasis on health orientation, while sports clubs have focused on competitive sports and training (Sandahl, 2005).…”

Sport as a Means of Responding to Social Problems : Rationales of Government, Welfare and Social Change

“…Both are organizational instances of a reconfiguration of 'the social' of social work. Sport associations and the sport movement in general seem to be common representatives of civil society (Coalter 2007b;Norberg 2010;Seippel, Ibsen & Norberg 2010) and congregate a kind of managerial social entrepreneurialism (Cohen & Peachey 2015;Sherry, Schulenkorf & Chalip 2015). In Sweden too, they challenge competitive sport with new institutional logics of social entrepreneurialism (Linde 2013).…”

“…As noted in the preceding chapter, sport is often associated with civil society and entrepreneurialism. The sport movement, clubs and associations represent civil society because they organize their practices to at least some degree in a way that is autonomous of state involvement (Seippel, Ibsen & Norberg 2010), out of reach of the sovereign power of the state. In addition, social entrepreneurs seem to progress in sport organizations or through sport practices (Cohen & Peachey 2015).…”