Table 6 - uploaded by Ian Paul Henry
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Contexts in source publication
Context 2
... Represented a range of different types of organisations (statutory and voluntary services, with input from commercial organisations); • Provided a range of sporting opportunities (indoor, outdoor, countryside sports; team and individual sports); and • Provided opportunities to a range of participants (males and females; children, young people and adults). Table 6.1 below presents a summary of the work of the organisations included in the case studies. The findings from the case studies are presented throughout the report and are referenced where necessary. ...
Context 3
... interviewees offered the view that sport has the capacity to bring people together from different cultural backgrounds. Table 6.2 below shows the country of origin of participants in a basketball session for children in Operation Reclaim. ...
Context 4
... these concerns, few interviewees experienced any serious problems when working with mixed-culture groups. It is clear from the case studies that organisers managed to bring together people from different countries and cultures (see Table 6.2). One coach indicated that people participating in sport would usually arrive at the activity in small, same community, groups. ...
Context 5
... with the reporting of such incidents in the media, a recent Audit Scotland report showed an increase in the number of racially motivated incidents reported to police (Audit Scotland, 2004). Since 2000/01, there has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of reported racist incidents, while in Strathclyde there was a 48 per cent increase in reported incidents (see Table 6.3). ...
Context 6
... addition, little data are available to establish to what extent the sports activities are helping local communities to integrate. Table 6.2 gives an indication of the ethnic mix that can be achieved, but the collection of this data appeared to come from a development officer who was curious about the ethnic mix, rather than from a planned monitoring process. ...
Similar publications
European governments have increasingly relied on voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) to address social issues, particularly refugees' social inclusion. Contemporarily, millions of Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries; VSCs are thus more relevant than ever. This review synthesised the research on VSCs' enabling and constraining features r...
Citations
... Cultural parameters, such as cultural and sports activities, are recognized as social activities and at the same time as facilitators (Lewis, 2015;Amara, et al., 2005). One the one hand, the first reading lies in their contribution to the social integration of the newcomers; on the other hand, there is another side of the coin. ...
The paper focuses on factors affecting social integration of refugees staying in European countries. It consists of an extensive literature review in terms of the definition and the origins of the term "social integration" as well as various aspects affecting the degree to which newcomers can be incorporated to local communities. Results prove that social integration is a complex procedure lying not only to housing policy but also to a series of issues that may be part of an integration policy. This review is the first part of a wider research on exploring the degree to which refugees living in Greece have been integrated to local society as well as the degree to which they feel incorporated to it.
... Nevertheless, the clash of civilizations debate does signal the intensification over the last three decades of general concerns with cultural diversity at both transnational and intra-national levels and in a variety of policy areas, not least that of sport, but also, increasingly, with the specific issues related to accommodation of refugees and asylum seekers. Analysis of the role sport can play in addressing ethno-religious cleavages, fostering the bonding, bridging and linking dimensions of social capital, has been a significant policy concern for the European Commission (Amara et al., 2005;Henry, 2007b;, the European Parliament (Henry, 2015a(Henry, , 2015b, the Council of Europe (Gasparini & Cometti, 2010;Niessen, 2000), and the United Nations (United Nations Organisation for Sport for Development and Peace, 2010). ...
Research question
This paper reviews the period of the last four decades and evaluates the significance of four major themes in the macro-environment of sport management and policy. These themes are (a) the shift in international relations from a bi-polar to a multi-polar model; (b) the challenging of teleological assumptions concerning the development of western models of modernization, and their replacement with accounts of multiple modernities; (c) the emergence of Populism and the changing nature of political Ideology and sport policy; and (d) contemporary notions of language, truth, discourse.
Research methods
The paper presents a review of relevant literature in the fields of philosophy, politics, policy and discourse analysis, identifying the impact and significance of such changes.
Research findings and implications
The findings highlight the need for policy and management to adapt to the new realities. (a) First, operating within a multipolar international relations system implies adaptation to the erosion of western hegemony in the international sports economy. (b) Second, challenge to the dominance of the western modernization thesis, by proponents of multiple modernities, implies a requirement to serve needs of heterogeneous markets within culturally diverse societies. (c) Third, the development of the politics of cultural populism, requires managers/policy-makers to understand and resist the use of sport in promoting negative, non-inclusionary ideological messages. (d) Finally, the undermining of notions of truth in public discourse, will require managers to defend evidence-based policy, and publicly acknowledged criteria of truth in decision-making.
... These reports are in line with recent studies (Hatzigeorgiadis, Morela, Elbe, Kouli, & Sanchez, 2013;Ito et al., 2010;Doidge et al., 2020;Morela et al., 2020). Finally, the emerging results of the present study highlight that both PE and sports can promote mutual interaction (Rosenberg, Fejgin, & Talmor, 2003;Amara et al., 2005) and have a positive impact on the inclusion of refugees depending on teachers'/coaches' delivery style (Kouli & Papaioannou, 2009;Morela et al., 2020) and training (Columna, Foley, & Lytle, 2010). ...
... Additionally, participants stressed that PE and sports share common characteristics (e.g., games and activities supported by universal rules), and thus linguistic communication is not necessarily needed in these contexts. Previous studies have had similar findings (Amara et al., 2005;Ito, Nogawa, Kitamura, & Walker, 2010;Scinke et al., 2016). Participants also argued that PE teachers and coaches can adapt games and activities from refugees' backgrounds to facilitate communication and interaction between refugees and native pupils. ...
... Participants also argued that PE teachers and coaches can adapt games and activities from refugees' backgrounds to facilitate communication and interaction between refugees and native pupils. A similar conclusion stems from previous reports that the sports context provides coaches with the opportunity to easily adapt cross-cultural activities that may facilitate pupils' familiarization and interaction with their teammates (Amara et al., 2005) and create an enjoyable and welcoming environment (Doidge et al., 2020). ...
In recent years, European countries have become hosting destinations for thousands of people who have been forced to leave their home countries. Greece is one of the main European hosting countries of refugees, especially children. Thus, the pupil population is gradually changing and the need for intercultural education is increasing. Physical education (PE) and sports have been recorded as suitable contexts for this process. However, there are still many challenges present in these contexts. The following study attempts to present the perceptions of PE teachers, coaches, and academics on the inclusion of refugees in PE and sports. Fifteen PE teachers/coaches and academics involved in the field of intercultural education participated in the study. A phenomenological approach was followed through semi-structured interviews. The method of thematic analysis was chosen to analyze the data. While all the participants considered PE and sports to be the most suitable contexts for the inclusion of refugees, they emphasized certain barriers to be overcome: the lack of training for PE teachers and coaches, prejudices of the parents of both natives and refugees, and refugees’ socioeconomic status and gender issues. Participants also shared their ideas for an adequate training program to improve PE teachers’ and coaches’ attitudes and promote their knowledge and skills regarding the inclusion of refugees. The participants underlined the need for intercultural education and well-structured training programs to properly manage culturally diverse environments.
... Indeed, Spaaij et al. (2019, p. 1) observe that 'sport and physical activity have historically received scant attention within the field of refugee and forced migration studies'. The few studies that have been undertaken invariably focus on health and wellbeing benefits or settlement through social connections and integration (Amara et al. 2004, Olliff 2008, Northcote and Casimiro 2009, Nathan et al. 2010, Spaaij 2012, Block and Gibbs 2017. As is often the case in policy research in this field, refugees become an essentialised group that become divorced from the broader context (Bakewell 2008). ...
... There is nascent academic research on the relationship between sport and refugees (Amara et al. 2004, Olliff 2008, Northcote and Casimiro 2009, Nathan et al. 2010, Spaaij 2012, Block and Gibbs 2017, Spaaij et al. 2019. Most of these have been undertaken in Australia, reflecting the centrality of sport in their policy approaches. ...
... Much of the literature focuses on integration of refugees (Amara et al. 2004, Walseth and Fasting 2004, Walseth 2006, Doherty and Taylor 2007, Werge-Olsen and Vik 2012, Stone 2013, Spaaij 2015, Agergaard et al. 2016, Adler Zwahlen et al. 2018. The term integration relates to a multidimensional process that sees new members of a community being able to fully participate in social, economic and political activities (Ager and Strang 2004, Ha and Lyras 2013, Spaaij 2015. ...
In the context of the global migrant and refugee crisis there is considerable enthusiasm for the notion that participation by migrants of refugee background in community sport can play a role in fostering a sense of community belonging. Sport potentially is an opportunity for refugees to integrate (with each other and host communities). Community sports organisations in the UK - and specifically sports clubs - continually face challenges to devote resources to social policy outcomes beyond increasing sport participation. This article argues that the active approach of coaches, volunteers and managers to consciously manage inclusive sport activities is central for the integration of refugees. Utilising a mixed methods approach, this study analysed the impact of one sports club that used table tennis to promote the active integration of refugees. The study found three significant areas of impact: first, an active approach from coaches can facilitate integration; second, such an approach should be conducted in a safe, enjoyable and welcoming environment; and that sport is a positive social activity for youths with a refugee background if the focus of the activity centres on fun and social interaction, rather than just sporting skills.
... These programmes are frequently based on the assumptions that sport is a universal language, a bridge between cultures and a provider of social support. While some evidence was provided for the social and inclusive effects of sport (mostly applied in a modified manner and/or connected to other interventions) (3)(4)(5)(6), other authors questioned the role of sport for inclusion (7) and pointed out its ambivalent nature; sport can be exclusive and inappropriate in some contexts, e.g., if different social-cultural notions, norms or behaviours are ignored; violence and aggression are reported in sport settings as well (8)(9)(10)(11). ...
While psychosocial interventions are underlined by most international models of refugee health care, few guidelines exist so far as to the implementation of specific programmes. In this chapter, a resource-oriented, trauma−sensitive approach to sport and physical activity is presented, aiming to promote health and psychosocial support among refugees. We first provide an overview of research on sport and physical activity with linguistically and culturally diverse migrants and with refugees from conflict regions in ‘new societies’ as well as in refugee camps. Furthermore, we outline some initiatives from the sport for development and peace field and different body- and movement-based approaches with people living with posttraumatic stress disorder. We then present some key issues relating to the implementation of sport and physical activity for promoting health and psychosocial support. Finally, we draw some conclusions regarding research needs and practical implications.
... Studies have found that sport is used as a tool for social integration and inclusion, 11 especially among students of marginalized groups (minorities) like Cambodians and Rohingyas 12 who have lived in host countries for generations. 13 Sport with special reference to refugees indeed entails moral support and propagates education, 14 improving self-esteem (and improvement), 15 protecting identity and unity of community, and facilitating social inclusion. 16 In addition, managing migrants and refugees requires appropriate strategy, as part of which young people may particularly benefit from using sport and recreation, although there is limited empirical data supporting the link between sport and socialization. ...
This paper examines the experiences of refugee athletes in pursuing their ultimate dream to compete in the Olympics, and explores the challenges and prospects they faced. Relevant data were obtained from secondary sources, such as sports articles and biographies on
websites, about refugee athletes competing in the Rio Olympics in 2016. Eleven sports personalities among the refugees from South Sudan, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia were studied. They represented the Refugee Team in judo, athletics and
swimming. A summative content analysis was conducted to see variations in their sporting motives. The analysis suggests that despite of harsh living conditions in their home countries, refugees’ passion to compete in sport was very much alive when they arrived at
the host countries. The paper also reveals that host countries like Germany, Brazil, and Luxembourg provided several opportunities for the refugees to venture into sport, but available opportunities are selective due to their status as refugees. Also, their participation in sport is confined to Olympic events only. Today, participation in sport is seen as an avenue for refugees to salvage their pride and dignity apart from seeking better opportunities in life. Indeed, sport is a powerful tool to unite people from different backgrounds and nationalities.
... Football and other sports have been shown to appeal to refugees and asylum seekers, especially young males, as a form of recreation and as a setting where they can potentially experience a sense of social inclusion and belonging in countries of resettlement (Amara et al. 2004;Olliff 2008;Spaaij 2015;Spaaij and Broerse 2018, in press;Whitley, Coble, and Jewell 2016), as well as in refugee camps (Baker-Lewton et al. 2017;Coffey et al. 2010). Sport has a similar appeal among policymakers, advocacy groups and community-based organizations in Australia and in other western nations where it is promoted and invested in as a tool for stimulating the settlement of young people with refugee backgrounds (Department of Immigration and Citizenship 2011; Jeanes, O'Connor, and Alfrey 2015;Refugee Council of Australia 2010). ...
Established in 2012, ‘the Seekers’ are a football club in Melbourne, Australia. Initially set up to provide social recreation for various refugees and asylum seekers, the Seekers have more recently entered a team in the mainstream league competition. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this paper considers how football facilitates forms of social inclusion for team members, both in relation to the action of the sport and the political and social context of Australian society more broadly. In many ways the field of sport is highly contested as players engage with the mainstream; however the solidarity forged through playing creates the possibility for moments of social inclusion in other ways. The capacity of sporting interactions to facilitate social inclusion for male team members is vexed, though there is evidence to suggest that, in the correct conditions, sport can contribute to an individual’s capacity to access employment and educational opportunities.
... Because of their special needs and a situation quiet new that Europe is facing, literature has not yet addressed the essential question of sport for the integration of refugees in Europe. Some reports already gave some guidelines to involve migrants as volunteers in clubs (SPIN, 2016) or for refugees in a national level, for instance in the United Kingdom (Amara, 2015). These reports show that there is a way to do it but there is no publications gathering the different projects, guidelines all over Europe. ...
1.015.078 is the number of refugees who officially arrived in the European Union during the year 2015 (UNHCR). The refugee crisis surprised the European Union in 2015 when more than 1 million refugees arrived in the European continent in only one year. This large flow due to civil wars and conflicts mainly in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Irak was not planned by the local authorities and governments which had to react with emergency responses. These short-term solutions quickly highlighted higher needs to solve the issues facing the governments. NGOs and international organisations joined the crisis with a local involvement and the development of actions in the field. One of the answers addressed to refugees was to maintain their education, well-being and help them to develop social skills is the sport-based programs. These programs developed under different forms were involving refugees in camps and structures dedicated to them to ensure their personal and social development. These grassroots sport activities are dealing with the non-competitive part of sport to develop relationships, self-confidence and social skills for the refugees. This thesis is using qualitative research methods mainly with in-depth interviews. This work resumes the main policies and the impact of sport for social inclusion in Europe with an important study part related to Greece, which is one of the most exposed countries due to its location: a high number of refugees are crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to arrive in the Greek islands. It highlights the importance of sport in the field of social development and underlines the lack of a regulaa global framework bound for refugees. The field of social development and peace (SDP) is now recognized but the adaptation to the specific needs of the refugees have to be done with a common agreement in order to ensure positiveness and sustainability.
... Per i gruppi e le comunità giunte ad un radicamento nelle società locali, il problema che si pone a riguardo delle pratiche sportive si inquadra nella più generale condizione delle minoranze etniche [Long et al. 2009]. Nel caso dei richiedenti asilo e dei rifugiati la situazione si pone in termini differenti: lo sport è talora oggetto di progetti e politiche rivolti direttamente ad essi [Amara et al. 2005], ma può anche essere il mezzo attraverso il quale si diffondono pratiche informali, che portano questi soggetti -anche in un momento in cui il loro destino futuro è ancora incerto -a rapportarsi con gli spazi pubblici della città in cui sono ospitati e a fruire di opportunità, offerte anche da luoghi non specificamente attrezzati. ...
... Così, comunità disgregate a seguito di processi di trasformazione economica, modificazione del contesto urbano o eventi traumatici di vario genere possono trovare nella partecipazione sportiva un terreno attraverso il quale costruire o rinsaldare le relazioni sociali. Il caso delle squadre sportive a base etnica composte da migranti appare in questo senso emblematico (Amara et al. 2005;Spaaij, 2012). ...
Sport is a multidimensional phenomenon, able not only to urge the individual dimension, but also to promote social relationship. For this reason, it is a tool that can promote social inclusion of disadvantaged people who, through sport, are able to run their asset of social relations. The paper focuses on the case of “Fondazione Roma Solidale”. The Foundation is a body part by the City of Rome, which found in sport - and particularly in football - an emblematic area to express its role of facilitator of social inclusion and its vision of welfare in a complex urban scenario.
