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Benefits of participation in sport for people from refugee backgrounds: A study of the South Sudanese community in Melbourne, Australia

February 2016

DOI:10.15739/ISR.16.002

Authors:

Victoria University

Participation in sport provides different forms of capital for all, but particularly for those with refugee backgrounds who are facing settlement issues. Such people are caught in a challenging situation of dealing with settlement issues such as homesickness, cultural shock, lack of a background of social activities and networks, lack of employment, racism and discrimination. As a result of these settlement challenges and other social issues, a large number of young people become disengaged. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore a social benefit of participation in sport for the South Sudanese people from refugee backgrounds who are settling in Melbourne, Australia. For people with social isolation and other social issues, participation in sport can be a tool that assists those young people by providing physical benefits, a social network (thus breaking social isolation) and sometimes a form of income as a result of being noticed as a good player. Participating in sport can thus be a rewarding experience, particularly for young people, in overcoming settlement challenges. This research was conducted through an in-depth interview of 20 participants from the South Sudanese community. Major findings confirmed that social benefits of sport in relation to network, physical capital, psychological capital, cultural capital, economic capital

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Issues in Scientific Research Vol.1 (2),pp. 10-26, February 2016

Available online at http://www.journalissues.org/ISR/

http://dx.doi.org/10.15739/ISR.16.002

Original Research Article

Benefits of participation in sport for people from refugee

backgrounds: A study of the South Sudanese community

in Melbourne, Australia

Received 19 January, 2016 Revised 9 February, 2016 Accepted 12 February, 2016 Published 19 February, 2016

William B.D. Abur

Victoria University in Melbourne,

Australia

Author's Email:

william.abur@gmail.com

Tel.: +61434516127

Participation in sport provides different forms of capital for all, but

particularly for those with refugee backgrounds who are facing settlement

issues. Such people are caught in a challenging situation of dealing with

settlement issues such as homesickness, cultural shock, lack of a background

of social activities and networks, lack of employment, racism and

discrimination. As a result of these settlement challenges and other social

issues, a large number of young people become disengaged. Therefore, the

aim of this study is to explore a social benefit of participation in sport for the

South Sudanese people from refugee backgrounds who are settling in

Melbourne, Australia. For people with social isolation and other social

issues, participation in sport can be a tool that assists those young people by

providing physical benefits, a social network (thus breaking social isolation)

and sometimes a form of income as a result of being noticed as a good player.

Participating in sport can thus be a rewarding experience, particularly for

young people, in overcoming settlement challenges. This research was

conducted through an in-depth interview of 20 participants from the South

Sudanese community. Major findings confirmed that social benefits of sport

in relation to network, physical capital, psychological capital, cultural

capital, economic capital

Key word: Benefit of sport, refugee and South Sudanese community

INTRODUCTION

The (re)settlement of people with refugee backgrounds in a

new country is a complex and ongoing process that

requires support from the host community, government

and non-government agencies to address the different

layers of settlement challenges. Participation in Sport

discussed in this article provides a platform of community

engagement, ranging from informal sport to the organised

sporting programs. In this article, “People with refugee

backgrounds” are those refugees who have been resettled

in Australia through humanitarian programs and who have

been caught up with settlement challenges. It also includes

their children who may be second generation refugees.

Sport is one of the strategies or activities which can assist

newly-arrived refugees to overcome settlement challenges

including social isolation. This paper discusses the

definition of sport, benefits of sport to refugee community,

gaps in the sport for refugee community, sport for social

changes, problems in sport and gender division in sport

sociology.

In Australia, there are many local community sport

centres which are run for different ages. Therefore,

participation in sport is a good thing for both young people

and adults who are seeking some connection and

socialisation with peer groups. It provides an opportunity

for connecting with others, not only as players but also as

supporters or parents who choose to engage in sport by

watching games. Many engage in local sport as part of

community connection and the community’s culture.

Research conceptual framework

The social world is a multidimensional space of constructed

ideas through discovering factors and differentiation of

factors that are different or similar in many forms such as

Issues Sci. Res. 11

different forms of capital (Bourdieu, 1986; Aldrich and

Meyer, 2015). The conceptual framework for this research

is based on Bourdieu’s Capital theory. Different forms of

capital are accumulated in society and are interrelated

(Bourdieu, 1986). The five capitals conceptualised in this

research are: social capital, cultural capital, economic

capital, physical capital and psychological capital. According

to Bourdieu (1986) human action is veined and self-centred

based on securing relationships. Therefore, it is important

to examine accumulative capitals for refugee community

groups, particularly during the settlement period. For

society to grow in a healthy way, people need resources and

social connections for most of their living and systems to

operate. People often display a sense of belonging and

social connection in order to succeed and achieve (Stevens,

2005).The concept of Social Connection is more applicable

and much needed by refugees as they have no or few

networks in their new community and are looking for

connections and a place to belong. Social capital exists in

social connections, group membership and interaction with

others; for instance, through participation in community

associations, the workplace, public institutions and

informal networks (Spaaij, 2012). Thus, social capital can

be understood as a resource for collective action, which

may lead to a broad range of outcomes including improved

family life. Social capital researchers in the health and

community sectors argue that the potential benefits of

social capital need to be embraced. These include the long-

standing recognition of the importance of social support for

public health and community wellbeing (Stone, 2001).

Given the centralised, institutionalised structure of

refugee settlement programs in which policy implementers

are most likely to be professional service providers, refugee

leaders are less likely to interact with the broader

community, at least in the initial phases of settlement.

Similarly, while there is certainly a connection between the

faith-based community and refugees, it is not as extensive

as it is in the United States (Allerdice, 2011). So, the

content of this research stems from the lack of connection

for the South Sudanese community with mainstream

Australian community groups in many areas including

sport and employment. McDonald et al. (2008) argued that

social connectedness assists refugees in terms of their

wellbeing, both physical and emotional. The notions of

accumulative capitals have been explained as ways in which

people position themselves in a social order.

METHOD

The data presented in this research is collected from in-

depth interviews of 20 participants from the South

Sudanese community living in Melbourne, Australia. There

were 9 females and 11 males with ages ranging from 18 to

64 years. The study is part of doctoral research with

community with people from refugee backgrounds or who

came through other humanitarian programs for

resettlement.

Reliability and validity of data: first ethics application for

this research was approved by the Victoria University’s

Ethics Committee which deemed it to be Safe, Respectful,

and Responsible and of a High Quality with no harm to

participants or community. All participants were provided

with information sheets before interviews began which

clearly stated that they were not obliged to take part in this

study and that they could also voluntarily withdraw at any

stage. The background of the wider South Sudanese

community were cautiously considered because of their

experiences in refugee camps or of oppression and political

persecution, forced migration, and the trauma of civil wars

in South Sudan. Pseudonym names of the participants were

adopted and used in the presented findings to avoid

identification of their real names

For this study, all in-depth interviews were audio

recorded during interviews and transcripts made

accordingly. Atem (2011) explained that often data for in-

depth interviews are recorded in a wide variety of ways,

including audio recording, video recording, written notes

and stenography. The data from interviews were coded and

analysed using a thematic analysis, which was used to

extract and classify key themes in all the interviews This

process was done to identify similarities in interviews or

conversations concerning settlement experiences, benefits

of employment and sport using different forms of capital as

a way to group themes for this study. This study was

conducted within research protocols and this researcher is

satisfied that the data is reliable and valid. Several scholars

have argued that reliability of data requires a discussion of

the procedures to justify claims made in respect of the

accuracy of the data and it is about truthfulness, credibility

in research findings (Sagor, 2000; Bryman, 2008; Neuman

2006; Graziano and Raulin, 2004).

Definition of sport

There is a need to define sport in this study. Sport is an

activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an

individual or team competes for entertainment and

winning reasons. The current view of sport is generally

understood to extend beyond competitive games. Coalter

(2005) suggests that sport is a platform for all forms of

physical activity including casual and organised

participation with an aim at improving physical fitness and

mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining

results in competition at all levels. The Australian Sports

Commission views sport as a human activity capable of

achieving a result requiring physical exertion and/or

physical skill, which, by its nature and organisation, is

competitive and is generally accepted as being a sport(see

Refugee Council of Australia, 2010).These definitions are

also supported by the “United Nations Inter-agency

Taskforce on Sport for Development and Peace” that

defined sport as all forms of physical activity that

contribute to physical fitness, mental well-being and social

interaction. These include activities such as play;

recreation; competitive sport and indigenous sports and

other forms of games (Right to Play, 2008). Sport is

regarded as universal to all cultures regardless of socio-

economic and political boundaries. People enjoy sport

when it is done in a right way which is free of violence,

corruption and other forms of aggression.

There are many types of sports played around the world.

For example, there are 8,000 indigenous sports and

sporting games listed in the World Sports Encyclopaedia.

However, sports commonly enjoyed by refugees with

African backgrounds include soccer, basketball, running,

wrestling and Australian football. What is important in this

study is that people benefit when they engage in sport.

Sport provides physical benefits and opportunities to

network. The benefits of participation in sporting activities

include: physical capital, social capital, psychological capital

and cultural capital. Refugees often face barriers in both

sport and employment. Lack of participation in sport as

well as in many other community programmes such as

employment and education have contributed to many

problems, including dissatisfaction within refugee groups.

Lack of empowerment and engagement in strategic

activities often result in both refugees and their local

communities failing to decide how best to move forward.

Young people can drop out from school and become

aggressive as a result of not being engaged in relevant

activities. This is a clear gap for young people but

particularly for those with refugee backgrounds.

Playing sport can be a rewarding experience, particularly

for young people. In some cultures, games and contests are

grounded in folklore and religious beliefs. The focus is on

the young men from wealthy families and society (Jay,

2011). Participating in sport is purposeful in many ways. It

carries many benefits for the participants. Sport is a great

way to have fun with friends, be productively competitive

and stay in physical shape. Players can improve skills,

make friends and learn how to be part of a team. It is a

meaningful and pleasurable activity for anybody that

engages in or follows sport. Physical activities and sports

are integrally related to their social contexts. As social

meanings and power shift in society, the purpose of

organised sport activities and games also change (Bunde-

Birouste et al., 2012).

In theory, people choose to engage in sport because of

three main factors: (1) a person’s abilities, characteristics

and resources; (2) influence of significance including

parents, siblings, teachers, peers and role models, and (3)

the availability of opportunities to play sports in ways that

are personally satisfying. Participants may be given an

opportunity to take personal responsibility for the creation

of a quality lifestyle (Leeann et al., 2013). Participating in

sport has been shown to have other benefits, such as

gaining employment through sporting networks.

Networking is important because individuals in sports

organisations often hire those they know personally. This

is extremely important in many ways (Alan and Michael,

2013) and can be a great help for refugees and other

migrants. This social capital cannot be ignored: it is also

meeting people in the field who can be a great help as well

Abur 12

as a networking opportunity (Leeann et al., 2013).

Social networking is important in obtaining employment

and career advancement. Recent studies have shown that

networking is an important management skill that helps

professionals to advance their careers. While the theory of

practical experience continues in full force as the core of

the educational experience, it has become increasingly

apparent that an understanding of the power of networking

must complement this traditional model (Alan and Michael.,

2013). Social networking activities allow opportunities for

sports participants to expand their network. Leeann et al.

(2013) suggested a positive, direct relationship between

social support and the beneficial effects of the intervention

in networking. Looking beyond the physical benefits of

sports, it also provides opportunities for networking and

engaging in a process which can be beyond one's existing

social capital or network.

Thus, participating in sport can help refugees and other

migrants to overcome critical settlement issues and to

integrate into mainstream communities. Sport is among the

activities that can promote social inclusion for the newly

arrived, disadvantaged groups. Sports provide benefits and

greater opportunities for all, regardless of race, colour,

religion, age, physical ability and economic circumstance,

by connecting people with each other locally, nationally and

internationally. Sporting programmes can be one-to-one, in

a group, structured with rules and set outcomes or take on

a freestyle approach. Structured programmes allow

participants to experience consistency and to build trusting

relationships within a team as well as extending their level

of confidence in connecting with different, mainstream

groups.

Benefits of sport for the refugee community

Sport is one of the areas in which young refugees have not

been well engaged in relation to settlement strategies, yet

there are potential benefits which those young people miss

as a result of that lack of engagement. The benefits of sport

for refugee community groups are not only through

participation by its individual members and a more general

inclusiveness; participants and their community groups can

increase their social connectedness with people from

mainstream communities and such social connections can

provide them with different opportunities. Connecting with

friends through sporting programmes is a simple but

important part of integration. Sport and recreation

represent a practical and accessible entry point for

addressing the needs of those young people in need. Sport

provides links between and within communities (Centre for

Multicultural Youth, 2008; Bunde-Birouste et al., 2012)

Sport is well known for its potential in promoting

positive societal outcomes and healthy living in term of

leisure benefits and connections. Healthy communities are

those in which people have physical and mental health

fitness. Sport can address some well-being issues faced by

socially-isolated individuals and communities as it can

provide them with opportunities for doing something

Issues Sci. Res. 13

productive in their daily lives compared with being couch

potatoes all day. Young people want to be part of

productive activities such as sport. Therefore, the benefits

of sport and recreation programmes in relation to their

effects on supporting and building healthy communities

cannot be underestimated (Ware et al., 2013).

In some countries, sport is highly valued for its ability to

bring people together from diverse backgrounds and to

create a strong sense of community and national identity.

Sport has many positive attributes in uniting people in

diverse communities. Therefore, it has been frequently

used by social policy makers and by those involved in

community development as a source of engaging the

community, particularly young people. These outcomes

cover a multitude of policy areas including health,

community cohesion and integration of minorities, urban

regeneration and crime prevention (Spaaij, 2009; Coalter,

2007). The beneficial effects of participating in community

sport programmes and employment for any person

(including refugees) are wide-ranging (Refugee Council of

Australia, 2010). “Participating in sport can improve the

quality of life of individuals and communities, promote

social inclusion, improve health, counter anti-social

behaviour, raise individual self-esteem and confidence, and

widen horizons.” (Coalter, 2005: p 4) Sport has been a

powerful tool in tackling social issues of anti-social

behaviour and cultural exclusion. In some countries, sport

is used to integrate ethnic groups and reduce youth

disengagement and crime (Spaaij, 2009; Coalter, 2007).

Lack of engagement by those in refugee communities in

meaningful leisure activities is a major barrier to achieving

successful resettlement. Thus, refugees and their

community groups can benefit from participation in

sporting activities with host community groups. There is a

need to engage the former in sport for social development

beyond their personal, social connections; it can lead to

relationship building with the host community. Engaging

participants from diverse backgrounds can provide better

integration, building abilities both personal and groups, and

links to the host community (Bunde-Birouste. et al., 2012)

Community Sport here means involvement in local sport

centres and community centres, and participating in team

sports. Some community sports programmes have aimed to

bring local people together and provide physical activities

and relevant information and advice on a wide range of

sports and physical activities to make it easier for locals to

get involved and engage in a more active and healthier

lifestyle. Physical benefits include improving fitness and

decreasing the risk of chronic health issues such as

cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, obesity,

osteoporosis and some cancers (Coalter, 2005).

Psychological benefits include building self-esteem,

increasing mental alertness and counteracting stress and

depression. Participation in sport also assists building

social cohesion and reduces isolation, antisocial behaviour

and crime (Refugee Council of Australia, 2010). In general,

sports programmes can help counteract psychosocial

problems and environmental and health issues as well as

stress and loneliness. They contribute to physical fitness,

mental well-being and social integration by providing a safe

forum in which anyone can develop physically, emotionally

and mentally.

Gaps in sport for refugees and their community

Refugees carry a number of experiences and significant

barriers to sports participation at different levels. Those

experiences, and lack of English, can hold them back from

engaging in wider activities. This effectively diminishes

their civil rights to participate in different levels of sporting

programmes and reduces their chances of full integration

(Cough; 2007). Participation is often regarded as a good

thing as it is embraced by non-governmental organisations

which work with refugee community groups, but most of

the work focuses on the Anglo-Australian community and

overlooks minority groups like refugee groups from African

nations and other ethnic minority groups. This trend has

been identified by minority community groups but nothing

has been planned to champion engaging the refugee

communities in participation in meaningful programmes

and activities that could help them elevate settlement

challenges and integrate with fewer difficulties.

Participation can also be an important tool for empowering

refugees because this can help them to understand and

change negative perceptions which they carry, as well as

providing opportunities for increasing self-esteem.

Participation often includes the involvement in planning

and decision-making in community development (Cough,

2007). If this is the definition of participation, then refugee

community groups are often excluded from such an

important process of working with host communities. In

many cases, a lack of initiative to engage with the refugee

community may be a major reason for their lack of

participation. This makes it easy to blame them, the

community feeling the refugees are not willing or ready to

participate in programmes. Lack of participation and

engagement of refugees in meaningful programmes

contradict the proud statement of the Government,

“Australia has a long and proud history of resettling people

in humanitarian need and the Australian Government is

committed to helping new arrivals become active

participants in the community as soon as possible.”

(Buckmaster, 2012: p6) Refugees from humanitarian

programmes often face challenges additional to those faced

by other migrants, which can be underestimated by the

agencies working with them or which can sometimes cause

misunderstandings.

Refugee community groups are under-represented in

organised sport including local sporting programmes. This

has not been recognised as an issue by formal sporting

associations. The level of involvement in sport by young

people or youth groups correlates with their countries of

birth. Those born in Australia had participation rates of

27%, compared to about 10% for people born in non-

English speaking countries (Centre for Multicultural Youth,

2008). Sport and recreation can assist young people and

individuals with language acquisition, provide a positive

point of connection with other members of the community

and support a sense of purpose and direction for young

refugees recovering from the traumas of their experiences

or the impact of racism as they are re-settling. At some

levels, new refugees show an interest in sport and

recreation as a major priority along with housing,

employment and education (Centre for Multicultural Youth,

2008).

Research has indicated that young refugees and migrants

often choose to participate in informal, unstructured games

of badminton, soccer, table tennis and basketball because

they have no connection with existing clubs. These sports

have often been played by them before coming to Australia

and are already familiar to them. (Buckmaster, 2012) It is

important to understand that migrants from other cultural

backgrounds are more likely to participate in sport in

familiar and supportive environments such as schools and

ethnic organisations, rather than through unfamiliar

environments such as mainstream sporting clubs,

associations and competitions. There is a clear gap between

club associations and refugee community groups when it

comes to general engagement of youth in sport. Therefore,

there is a need to engage diverse community groups at all

levels, including management. Diversity management is not

being adopted widely among local sports clubs and this

reduces the idea of a moral imperative to cater to people

from different backgrounds (Spaaij et al., 2014). In terms of

diversity management in sport, there is still a long way to

go before reasonable and inclusive participation of

disadvantaged communities occur in organised and

structured sports programmes. Sports clubs and

associations should consider safe and inclusive practice by

embracing all community groups in their local areas

regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexuality and religion

(Spaaij et al., 2014). Sometimes ethnic communities have

ongoing concerns about the challenges facing them in areas

of social justice, developing diversity policies and

implementation. This is an open discourse that needs

consideration in both private and government sectors,

especially when people are experiencing unfair treatment

in sports programmes because of their cultural

backgrounds. It is acknowledged that the language barrier

is a probable, but not insurmountable, reason for the lack of

engagement by community leaders in the management

structure of more formal sports associations.

Buckmaster (2012) argued that emerging communities

are consistently identified as communities requiring high

levels of support and would need specialised services to

support them with enough resources. Such groups, often

lacking earlier generations of settlers or an Australian-born

second generation, generally lack organised advocacy or

social networks, have difficulty in accessing government

services and may require substantial assistance and time to

settle effectively.

For refugee communities, sport can ease their integration

during settlement processes. It can be an avenue for

creating and building trust with mainstream community

Abur 14

groups if they are welcomed and treated fairly. Participants

from the mainstream community can be role-models by

offering positive mentoring programmes for young

refugees. The latter also have opportunities to meet and

socialise with other participants which can break social

isolation (Birousteet al., 2014). Sport activities are well

known to be one the many activities that can bring different

people and community groups together through

celebration. Regardless of age, people can be involved in

organised sport and physical activity as players,

participants or competitors, and also in non-playing roles.

The latter include: coach, instructor or teacher; referee or

umpire; committee member or administrator; scorer or

timekeeper, and medical support.

The Centre for Multicultural Youth (2008) suggested that

sport and recreation can assist young people and

individuals lacking English to build their self-esteem and

improve their communication in English through

interacting with other participants from English-speaking

groups. It can also provide a positive point of connection

with others and support a sense of purpose and direction

for young refugees recovering from the traumas of the

refugee experiences or the impact of racism as they are re-

settling.

Sport for social change

Sport can ring social changes in the community and in

particular the disadvantaged community can benefit much

from sport in terms of development and engagement of

youth in healthy ways. Sport has become an attractive

mode of delivery for community and individual

development around the world; however, there is a dearth

of research into the provision and management of sport for

social change programs.

Sherry et al. (2013) argued that sport is a catalyst for

change to build capacity and develop healthy and inclusive

communities. However, one doubts that sufficient efforts in

sports management are being made for social change in

order to create more opportunities to work collectively

with disadvantaged community groups. It is important for

organisations to take sport seriously as an avenue to

provide those changes. With sport, community programmes

can be developed and delivered to marginalised community

groups by the sporting organisations as part of their

effective engagement with the community.

The only critical issue holding back this social change in

sport is the lack of recognition of diversity in sport at the

management level. There is no strong approach to the

engagement of culturally diverse communities in sport.

Australia has a multicultural society: Victoria is Australia’s

most culturally diverse State with over 23% of Victorians

born overseas, coming from over 200 different countries,

and about 72% were born in non-English speaking

countries. This makes a significant proportion of the

population (Centre for Culture Ethnicity & Health, 2006).

Thus, there is a great need for changes in sport to

Issues Sci. Res. 15

accommodate the needs of community groups, including

fair recruitment and positive engagement of refugee and

migrant community groups in sport. Sports clubs and

associations should reflect the communities they are

representing. Mobilising resources with a multicultural

portfolio may help to meet those challenges and facilitate

engagement to assist sports organisations in reaching out

to people from diverse backgrounds. (Ware and Meredith,

2013; Sherry et al., 2013) Good sports programmes can

provide safety and protection to vulnerable youth from

diverse community groups that are at risk of isolation. The

programmes can also provide a welcome relief from daily

struggle. For people who have been displaced, who become

disaffected or simply disengaged from their community,

belonging to a continuing sporting programme or team can

be a lifeline, especially in times of chaos where routine and

stability are desperately needed and hard to find (Centre

for Culture Ethnicity and Health (2006).

The level of social changes that sport can bring to people

from refugee and migrant backgrounds includes real life

issues and challenges that relate to the dislocation and

tensions in the settlement process. These social issues can

sometimes be misunderstood as a microcosm of life's

issues, but they are serious issues that seriously hold back

the progress and potential development of people with

refugee and migrant backgrounds. Sports clubs can help by

providing an environment where people from many

backgrounds are welcomed, heard and supported when

struggling with social issues (Ware and Meredith, 2013).

The good news is that structured sporting programmes can

unite people from different language groups and

backgrounds by using activities with a common goal. This

allows participants to engage at a higher level of

participation who could otherwise face social isolation or

disengagement (Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health,

2006).

Problems of sport for refugee community

Sport is not the only way of engaging refugee communities

to settle more easily: it has limitations which require some

understanding and awareness when promoting

engagement of sport for refugee communities. Sport can

bring different views in communities, both positive and

negative. In terms of negativity in sport, racism, violence,

doping, corruption and sexism are part of the sporting

world and cannot be ignored. Sometimes, there are some

visible expressions of aggression and violence in the field

(Spaaij, 2013). For refugees, there are risks that too much

focus will be given to sport, neglecting other important

activities such education, employment and family. These

risks are often perceived by parents who want their young

people to focus on education more than other activities.

These views are equally important and need to be

discussed when it comes to the latter’s engagement in sport

in order to avoid conflict.

On a positive note, young refugees often show their

enthusiasm for sport as their desire is always driven by an

aspiration to express themselves, to connect with their

peers and to become professional players. Such enthusiasm

and desires can be an indication of their selective

adjustments of family cultural values to accommodate

personal preferences (Spaaij, 2013). Using a sports

program to facilitate the integration of young refugees into

host communities’ is relatively innovative as an

intervention strategy. However, it is essential to

acknowledge that engaging them in sporting activities can

be a hindrance through some practical issues such as

transport and costs. These issues can be barriers to

participation in sports (Hancock et al., 200).

Brown et al. (2006) argued that sport should be viewed

as a good way to meet people and to establish new

friendships, but often their ability to participate is limited

by many other responsibilities including school work. Some

parents have a strong desire that their children perform

well in education and can view sport as a distraction from

academic directions. Also, some players have encountered

negative experiences in sport clubs, including

discriminatory attitudes which have caused some refugees

to establish their own, mono-ethnic clubs. This experience

of discrimination, aggression and violence on the field can

create negative implications for community engagement

and resettlement. Spaaij (2013) observed challenges in

sport such as discrimination and aggression are some of the

many concerns which are holding refugees back from

engaging effectively in mainstream sporting clubs.

In 2014, there were many issues with many clubs. It was

not a surprise, but it was a big shock for some. Once the

game starts, opposing players or spectators respond by

name calling: racial abuse was and still is an issue and,

although you really want to move on, sometimes it holds

you back. (Spaaij, 2013) Apart from discrimination and

racial affiliation of minority groups in sport, it can be

detrimental to disadvantaged groups because it

exacerbates their disadvantage. This critical view is in line

with the perception that regards sports as a false front

which reproduces inequality by trapping young people

from disadvantaged backgrounds into a belief that sport is

the ticket to a better life, diverting their attention and

energies away from more likely pathways to upward

mobility (Messner, 2007; Spaaij, 2013). Although family

attitudes to sporting participation are slowly changing as

more parents come to value its potential social and health

benefits, their reservations indicate how recent migrants

and refugees tend to prioritise other means of successful

settlement: education and employment. Sport can be

perceived as a distraction from these pursuits (Spaaij,

2013).

The downside in some sports includes financial

problems. Sports clubs can be very expensive, particularly

for disadvantaged groups. While there has been some shift

in recruiting better players from lower socio-economic

classes to be paid and participate at a high level, there are

still implications of violence, discrimination and racism, the

effects of bureaucracy, religion and gender implications.

Social bonds and bridges can be developed in the sporting

context and assist in rebuilding networks in the community

that have been eroded by war and displacement. However,

bridging social capital in sport is relatively weak between

refugee community groups and the host community. It is

often hijacked by negative social encounters such as

discrimination and aggression which cause and reinforce

group boundaries. This makes it hard to access and use

linking social capital, which is unequally distributed across

gender, age, ethnic, and socio-economic lines (Spaaij, 2012).

The issues of discrimination and racism for minority and

ethnic groups still exist in today's sporting activities and

cannot be denied. Players from certain socio-economic

groups were under-represented in some sports because of

economic and neighbourhood differences as well as

racial/ethnic tension (Kanters et al., 2012). Young players

also encounter challenging experiences which are not

always beneficial: they can get hooked up with coaches who

are more interested in their own egos than helping young

players to grow. Ideally, coaches should be there to

facilitate and provide direction for those who work closely

with young players and not to practice their individuality

which may seem difficult to young players.

Gender division in sport sociology

When it comes to the gender issue in sport, one can see a

clear division in terms of the roles that are played. Gender

identity is a critical part of sociology understanding in

sport. Thinking about gender differences in sport, it is clear

that many sporting activities are dominated by men. There

are many unexplained reasons why women are often

excluded in organised sports. Kanters (2012) observed that

women from African, American and low-income

backgrounds were more likely than their male counterparts

to be left out of participating in sports. At some sports

clubs, women are treated more harshly and ridiculed by

boys and coaches. In addition, male coaches do more

coaching while female coaches are more involved in

organisational duties. These are examples of how gender

plays different roles in community sports. Thus,

participation in masculine sport creates gender identity

conflict for females, while participation in feminine sports

creates gender identity conflict for males. This is a systemic

problem in different cultures in many parts of the world.

There are sports typically dominated by boys/men in the

contemporary sporting system. This is due to the influences

of cultural values and beliefs in society. Families and

institutional sports clubs often decide who is best to play in

their teams while the family can think about the resources

required to support those wanting to participate in sport at

a high level. In some countries, some sports are often

dominated by males, such as basketball in America and

football or footy in Australia. This is an example of how

sport has created a division in gender. The level of

participation for females is often higher in athletics,

Abur 16

gymnastics, figure-skating, netball, and tennis and diving.

FINDINGS

The benefits of sports for any community, including the

South Sudanese community, are mostly in the range of

social benefits of playing with other people or meeting

friends through sport. So, the value of having people (and

particularly young people) engage in sport is often

underestimated. Engaging in physical activities such as

sport is almost always rewarding in terms of health and

fun. For young people, it is about having fun and being

active. This also applies to adults who play or support

sports. It is also important that people who play or engage

in sport make friends, which enhances the feeling of

belonging to a group or team. Another thing that people can

get from sport is a different level of skills and knowledge.

Involvement in sport can develop self-confidence and self-

esteem through gaining a sense of achievement. Sport can

help people from refugee backgrounds to connect with

members of other community groups. This is good for both:

it is one way for the former to make new friends and learn

from the host community, while the latter can learn from

refugees when they find a common interest through sport.

When people from the South Sudan came to Australia,

many had no idea of the types of sport which young people

play in Australia. Some have seen Australian youth playing

Australian Football League (AFL) but they may have not

have thought about playing this sport or supporting others.

However, over the last few years the community has seen a

few players emerge and play Australian Football League

(AFL). These players include MajakDauof the North

Melbourne Club and AlierAlier of the Sydney Swan Club.

Then followed young players such as GachNyuon who was

drafted by Essendon (Bombers), Reuben William who went

to Brisbane (Lions) and MabiorChol who was drafted by

Richmond (Tigers). This raises the hope within the

community that more of its young men will be joining AFL

in the next few years.

We have few young South Sudanese that play Australia

football at the moment and it is only a matter of time until

we have more young people from the African communities

in Australian football. My young brother plays both

Australian football and basketball at the moment. (P# 14,

Joseph)

Sport is a good thing that helps people health-wise,

engages people by bringing them together and enjoying

their time. You could also see some politicians running or

going to sports events because sport is good for everybody.

I think our people should engage in sport, young people and

grown-ups, because it keeps them active and we can also

contribute to Australian society because we are very

athletic when it comes to sport. (P# 13, Deng)

The following five capitals are gained through

participation in sport and the benefits have been described

quotes as participants spoke about their participation in

Issues Sci. Res. 17

sport.

Physical capital

There are many reasons why young people are encouraged

to be involved in sport. One reason is that playing sport is

good for people in terms of learning coordination skills as

well as being fun to enjoy the social part as a game is being

played. Young people play sport or are involved in sport to

have fun, to improve their skills and learn new ones, to

meet friends, for physical fitness, to do something they're

good at and for excitement in winning a competition (if

possible). Participants described the fun part of sport and

why they like to be involved in sport.

Basketball is fun when you put the skill into practice. For

example, dribble and dung in the field is fun. Basketball

helped me to learn skills and rules in sport which is great

for me. Young people who are not engaged in sport have a

lot of issues on the streets because they have nothing to do.

Sport is good because it keeps young people off the streets

and makes them healthy and encourages them to learn new

skills (P#14, Joseph)

I don’t play sport but I like it and watch it lots. Those who

engage in sport have a lot of benefits because sport keeps

them active. Sport becomes one of the important tasks in

their daily routines. Sport helps you personally because you

remain physically fit and healthy. You also have a fresh

mind when you play. I think young people can benefit a lot

if they are engaged in sport. (P# 15, Maciek)

Sport is very important for young people and adults,

physically, mentally and even career-wise. When I started

playing basketball, I was not intending to do it as a career

but my main goal was to be fit, healthy and to encourage

other young people who were isolated to do something

meaningful. I also wanted those South Sudanese young

people who were on the streets to get out of trouble

because sport can help to engage them actively so they have

no time for consuming alcohol or doing other things that

are no good. I know sport has helped me to focus on my

school work because I know what I was doing when I joined

basketball. I was able to think positively and focus on my

work because I know that I am going to play when I finish

my school work. I had no time for other things except

school work and sport. (P# 6, Majok)

I am a great fan of sport; I play basketball with girls of my

age. We work hard for our team as players and learn lots as

a team from our coach. The benefits when you play sport

are that you meet people, network with them and become

friends. We always meet on Saturdays and sometimes after

school to discuss sports plan and skills we needed in order

to be the best players. (P# 12, Glory)

A participant in the study was helped by a coach to

connect with the team.

When you join the team, there is always someone who

can connect with you. There is always a person with whom

your personalities clicked and this person has to be a coach.

When I started, my coach was so supportive in introducing

me to the team, and I quickly made friends within the team.

All my friends in the team were so good for me; they always

supported me and encouraged me to be myself when I am

playing. I see myself now as a better player in the team.

Having a network of friends is very important because you

can help each other when one of you needs help. Friends

always protect each other from unfriendly groups. I

remembered the time when I was kid; we protected

ourselves from other unfriendly groups or kids who were

against us for some unknown reason. (P# 14, Joseph)

I played soccer and I believe that sport is good for young

people because it is keeps them from engaging in bad

activities or crime that are not good for them. By

participating in sporting programs, young people can

network with many other young people from different

communities. (P# 2, Mading)

Psychological capital

Sport is full of fun and joy but particularly for the players

when they win. This also applies to supporters as it fun for

them to see the best players on the field. The psychological

benefits of sport have been mentioned by the participants

in this research. There is often a great feeling when a player

is really doing well in front of supporters. Sport facilitates

the connection with other people, players and supporters.

For new community groups, sport can assist them to

integrate with the mainstream community. One participant

in the interview described how sport helped him to

integrate and mix with other players, giving him a good

feeling and a sense of belonging when sees his supporters

while he is playing.

Sport has assisted me to integrate and settle better

because when I came in Australia things were very different

until I joined sport. I had no friends before but now I have

a lot of Australian friends and that helps me to settle better

and relax. People have supported me in terms of sport and

I feel good because of that. I love sport as something that I

wanted to do and that something is what I’m doing for a

career as I don't want to finish with sport. Seeing good

people supporting me makes me feel good and I play better.

(P#10, Kur)

Another participant described how he enjoys playing

basketball. He explains how sport assisted him to focus and

have less time for unnecessary activities.

I enjoy playing sport - basketball - because it gives me joy

and also means socialising. I find sport helpful for young

people because when they play they have less time to go

around and do unnecessary things such as consuming

alcohol or doing things that can prevent them from things

that could be better for their future. (P#6, Majok)

Sport helps to break down social isolation felt by young

refugees. One participant explained that it is not just about

physical fitness.

Sport can help those refugee young people who have no

connection and have nothing to do at home. Sport can

break social isolation which can lead into depression and

depression is bad thing for those who are not engaged in

social activities. You don’t need to be the best player to

engage in sport; you can still come and play for fun. What

you get from sport is not just physical fitness or a healthy

lifestyle; it connects you with people outside your

community or family. (P# 4, Mayar)

Social capital

Participants in the interviews described the social benefits

of sport, including community cohesion and social

connection that sport brings to community. People may

play different types of sports based on their cultural

backgrounds and subject to the availabilities of local

resources and support from others. Prior to migrating,

young South Sudanese used to play soccer in their

backyards. Some participants regard sport as an activity

that brings the community together and cited the examples

of the World Cup and community spirit toward it.

Sport contributes lots in terms of building a community.

A good example is the World Cup sporting event which is

always celebrated by many different cultures. It unites

people and brings lots of enjoyment to young people and

fans of sport. It is very important for a refugee community

to be engaged in sporting activities for health, fitness and

general exercise. Sport can bring people from different

backgrounds together and I think if those in the South

Sudanese community engage in sport, others will get used

to them and the issue of racism in sport will diminish. (P#

2, Mading)

Young people from the South Sudanese community

become disenfranchised because they are not engaged in

fruitful activities like sport. We know that if young people

don’t have anything to do, they can go out and do

something against the law. I was involved in organising

sporting activities for young people and basketball is my

area of interest and skills with which I helped other young

people who want to play it. (P# 6, Majok)

Sport helps me to break social isolation: people need to

participate and engage with people in sport. This can help

you to connect and meet new friends. (P# 4, Mayar)

Some in the South Sudanese community want to be

involved but they may not have found how, due to lack of

connection with sports clubs. Some participants in this

study have called for the wider community to show their

skills and talents in sport allowing the young South

Sudanese to participate in sporting programs as a way of

helping them integrate into the mainstream community.

Sport brings a community together and I want to see

African or South Sudanese parents bring their children into

the Australian Football League. There are lots of African

young people with talent in sport; they can do well in sport.

I want my South Sudanese people to participate in sport;

we will not go back. This is our country; our contribution

and participation is important. (P# 2, Mading)

I think any sports can really help people in many ways,

both adults and young people. Especially in Australia, we

are living such an easy life. Our young people can benefit

too from Australian sports like footy. Any athletic games

are good for us if the young are engaged and well

Abur 18

supported. What matters in sport is discipline; focus and

stay hungry to win your goal no matter what. (P# 3,

Malou)

Being in basketball has opened me up as a sportsman

now compared to the time I was not engaged actively in

sport. I learned about teamwork because basketball is not

like tennis where you play by yourself. It is something that

requires teamwork and skills to work in a team. Sport

helped me to gain a sense of belonging and to find my

identity as a sportsman. I find that I have a sense of being

recognised in my team because of my skills and hard work

in the team. For my height now, I see that I am not tall for

nothing but tall to contribute to the team and the

community as I would like to be role model to other young

people in sport. (P# 14, Joseph)

People who are involved in sport tend to learn particular

skills which help them in the workforce or to manage other

social issues. Skills such as teamwork, commitment and

personal organisation are some skills learnt from engaging

in sport. These skills are transferable when one learns or

adapts them well.

I used to play soccer and our friends played better

because there was a lot of cooperation, teamwork,

commitment and discipline in their team. We learned from

those experiences that I need to be committed, get

organised, and manage my time and to be able to work with

others. Playing sport also helps you to be healthy and fit;

when you exercise, you are improving your lifestyle and

that is huge benefit of engaging in sport. Also it helps you

avoid some of the unhealthy things such as drugs and

alcohol because you become aware of your body's needs.

(P# 8, Amath)

Young people who choose to engage in sport have seen

the benefits. Sport has assisted them to break away from

the social isolation which they had previously faced. The

participants reported that sport has given them a great

opportunity to make and meet friends and stay connected

with people who encourage them to continue to participate

in sport.

The most important thing for us is to accept that we are

Australians and not to think negatively of their lives in

Australia. There are many opportunities that people can

benefit from. Some of my friends did not like to travel far to

play sport. I used to do that; it just helps you to manage

your time and focus on goals. (P# 4, Mayar)

Sport can help you lots and you learn about leadership

and team work skills. You can also learn lots from other

players and build friendships. I have met and learned from

many players who played basketball in America. Any sport

can help you to define yourself and your goal if you work

hard for it. In my case, basketball has helped me lots. You

can build your network and friendships through sport.

Sport has helped me as a young boy who came to Australia

early; I have been around different races, different cultures

and spent much time learning about other people and not

doing much only about myself and where I want to be in

future. Sport assisted me to define myself because sport is

very vocal and I was not a vocal person but I became vocal

Issues Sci. Res. 19

through sport- basketball now. Sport has put my

personalities together - you know what I mean: I am now

myself. I believe young people with a refugee background

can benefits lots if they participate in sporting programs.

South Sudanese are very athletic people naturally, what

they really need to do is focus a little bit while engaging in

sport. I know lots of South Sudanese young people in

Australia now play basketball which helped them stay off

the street and away from other problems. (P# 3, Malou)

Refugees who engage in sport do so for a social reason

and this is vital in re-settling successfully and in the

integration process. It is hard for people to settle if they do

not have connections with the host community or with

earlier migrants who can advise them about directions and

how the system works. Participants discussed the benefits

and importance of sport in several ways. One is that they

see sport as a way of building their social capital with other

communities and also internally.

I play basketball in Australia but I used to play soccer in

Africa because it is a big thing there and boys learn it

quickly in their backyards. Sport helped me to remain fit

and healthy as well as helping me to connect with people

whom I built friendship with. When I came to Australia, I

started to play basketball although I was not good at it at

first. I chose to play basketball because I’m tall and my

basketball coach recommended that I join this sport. I was

bit unsure of myself at first but eventually became a

dominant player in the team. I really enjoy this and I have

built many friendships through sport. (P# 14, Joseph)

Sport helps young people from refugee groups to gain a

sense of belonging and participation. I know a group of

young people who play sport - soccer at the moment - and it

helped them to form their own small community and enjoy

their time together. To me, sport plays an important role in

assisting young people to integrate with other community

groups because players from different communities can

come together and play sport together. (P# 9, Monique)

Sport can bring people together, learn from each and

share many things like having fun. It helps people to engage

in positive and enjoyable ways which is a good way of

controlling young people because they are not bored and

cause problems. (P#1, Dut)

I played lots of sports, soccer, martial arts and

gymnastics, which made me a sporty person; every day I

play sport. Talking about sport, it has helped me as a

person in many ways; it is not just about going there to get

fit and healthy, it is more than that for me. It has helped me

in my studies; it is about challenging myself and not to give

up. My course is not an easy one; it can be stressful and

challenging sometimes. However, I have learned

sportsmanship where I treat everything as a challenge and

not give up. For example, the way I look at my assignment is

like when I am doing push-ups. If I can do 10 push-ups

today I will do more push-ups tomorrow; this is the same

way as I do my assignments. One might be difficult today

but I look at it and say well, the next assignment may be

easy; I cannot give up doing this assignment today. (P# 4,

Mayar)

Sport assists in enhancing social connections within and

beyond a community. A community with social and other

human capitals often has better ways of supporting its

members. Such support can include taking care of each

other by forming teams and playing local sport. Parents can

engage with their young people through sport; parents can

also play important roles informally and formally by

volunteering in that sport. Sport also contributes to a

higher level of social capital as it brings the community

together - young people and their parents - to celebrate

seasons of sporting activities in their local communities as

well as at national and international levels.

A man who played Australian “footy” or football explains

the benefits of sport for him as something that has been

useful in connecting with the right people in sports clubs.

He said that sport helped him to gain many friends and

supporters from both the South Sudanese and mainstream

communities.

The benefit of sport for me has been going around

meeting other people from my community and beyond. I

met a lot of friends through sport and people who care

about my sport career which is Australian-footy. I also have

many friends in the South Sudanese community who care

for me because I play sport and they know me around

Australia. I was supported and encouraged by one of the

sporting legends; he helped me to join up and meet people

with good will and encouragement. (P# 10, Kur)

I come from a family where people viewed sport as a

discipline that teaches people a lot of responsibilities and

hard work. My mum played sport too. We love sport and I

think young people can benefit lots from sport instead of

loitering on the streets and causing problems due to lack of

activities. Sport teaches you to be disciplined and it is

something constructive for young people. I think sport is a

great activity that can assist young people to integrate by

meeting many other young people from different

communities. (P# 16, Sarah)

The skills that people can learn through engaging in sport

have been seen as benefiting other and more general skills

within the community. Skills such as teamwork, leadership

and time management are important skills for young

people.

I see sport as an important activity for young people

because I have seen the benefits of sport as a person from a

refugee background that had no such connections. I was

involved in basketball as a young person and became a

coach for young people because I know the benefit of sport

as an individual (P# 6, Majok)

I used to play sport when I was young but I do not play

anymore. I still believe that sport is important for people;

you can learn lots from engaging in sport activities because

you can meet many people including coaches who can teach

you lots about teamwork, leadership skills and

responsibility within the team. Through sport you learn

about group work, unity and cooperation as well as gaining

a sense of belonging and social networking with your

teammates. (P# 7, Aguto)

The leisure aspect of sport is something that has also

been seen to benefit those who engaged in sport.

Sport has taken my time mainly to socialise and meet

other people in the community. It is good to meet people

from different communities through sport. We used to

encourage each other as young people that, you know, sport

is better for us than what is happening on the streets. This

later became a theme of influencing others to join us. (P#6,

Majok)

Participants in this study reflected how sport can make

people become famous within their own community and

also in other parts of the world. One participant mentioned

famous people in the South Sudanese community as part of

the benefit of being involved in sports as an athlete. This

appeared to be one of the factors that motivated some

young people to play basketball.

When you become a successful athlete, you can always go

to different places, meet different people and become well-

known. I am thinking here about the South Sudanese

basketball player, Luel Deng. He is well known now in the

community and is respected because of his achievement in

sport. If you become successful in sport, you can also help

your community by establishing it there. I heard that Luel

Deng has established his basketball academy in South

Sudan to help that community. This is just one example of

what sport can do. (P# 5, Garang)

Cultural capital

There is an opportunity to build cultural capital through

participation in sport: young people can meet others from

different cultures and learn from them. This is good for

young people from refugee backgrounds.

I met some of my friends through sport and we learned

from each other. You can also learn lots about different

cultures from friends as part of your social network rather

than your own community members because sport is very

multicultural and you can meet people and build

friendships with different people from different cultures.

These friends are very inspiring in many ways because they

tell you their stories, how they manage some challenging

issues. (P# 19, Nyibol)

I have learned things in sport, things you cannot learn at

home. You learn them when you participate or engage in

sport. Sport can really help people to integrate successfully

and know each well. Sport can help young people to settle

better. When I came to Australia, I had no friends because I

didn’t know many people but I decided to engage in school

sports which helped me to connect with many friends. I got

my first jobs through a friend who I met through sport. We

discussed work-related issues and I told him that I wanted

to work. Straightaway he advised me to submit my resume

to him because he knew his manager was looking for

someone to be employed (P# 4, Mayar)

I used to played volleyball but not anymore. I used to

enjoy sport because of meeting all my friends that played

sport with me and we would talk about sport and different

issues as friends. But now I have brothers who play sports

and that have helped them lots in their settlement. I also

Abur 20

know some other young people from the South Sudanese

community who are doing well because they have chosen to

engage in sport. I strongly believe that sport is good for

young people and is a good activity to engage newly-arrived

young people with refugee backgrounds. My brothers play

sport every weekend and attend week-night training. It

keeps them very busy and they all enjoy their time in

sporting activities. One of my brothers plays rugby and he

wants it to be his career. We are all supporting him in the

family because sport keeps him busy and away from his

wrong friends who are having some issues with drinking.

(P# 17, Rebecca)

I play basketball and my brother play basketball too. We

like sport because there are many benefits when it comes to

sport, physically and psychologically. First, we know many

friends through sport. We hang out together and socialise

after and before games. (P# 19, Nyibol)

Talking about community sporting is not just about

playing with registered clubs. It is also about self-care and

general wellbeing. Some participants who used to play in

local sporting clubs also found running to be useful for their

self-care and wellbeing.

I used to play basketball when I was at school. What I do

now is running and walking every morning just to keep

healthy and fit. I believe physical exercise is so important

for me and of course to people who want to keep their

fitness and health. I think sport is good and there are a lot

of physical benefits as well as psychological benefits from

engaging in sport. I believe the South Sudanese young

people can benefit a lot, as well as the community and

families seeing their sons and daughters playing at any

level of sport. (P#11, Abiol)

Sport is important to me for reasons including health and

psychological wellbeing because it provides opportunity for

networking, meeting people who can be useful in terms of

support and learning opportunities. My first job which I got

in a Safeway market was because of the girl I went to school

with and whose sister used to work there and she also

played netball with us. She helped me to get the job.

Anything that creates a network is helpful for people in

many ways. (P#18, Susanne)

Economic capital

Some sport clubs have the financial capacity to pay their

athletes when they reach a professional level. Financial

benefits were discussed with those who get paid through

sporting activities and they were very open in describing

the financial benefits.

I got financial benefits through sport because the club

pays me and this helped me to get to the games. I had no

worries about transport or things that I want to buy for

training. Therefore, the financial benefit in sport is so

helpful. You don’t have to be stressed when you have

money; no worries about how I am go to get there:Do I have

money for the train and so on. I play VFL in Victoria but I

know there are some other South Sudanese who play sport

in Australia and these guys are really enjoying their time

Issues Sci. Res. 21

playing, meeting new friends and other supporters who like

their games. My dream is to make it to the AFL level and for

young South Sudanese to see me and join in. I want to be

like MajakDau and AlierAlier. Majak plays for North

Melbourne Footy Club and Alier plays for Sydney Swan

Club. This is a good thing for the community and for them

too. (P#10, Kur)

This is no small matter. Connecting with the right people

through sport helped some people to get work. One of

participants acknowledged the importance of being

connected with right people in sport.

I got my job through a sport connection.A friend who

played with me asked me to submit my resume. Within a

few days I was interviewed and I got the job because my

friend had already discussed it with his manager as he

knew me well and believed in me that I could do that job. I

believe in sport because it challenges you and takes you to

the next level. My sportsmanship assisted me to connect

with many important people who come to games. I

remembered when I qualified for our soccer league; many

important people came and talked to me. (P# 4, Mayar)

Gaps faced by the refugee community in sport

There is a clear gap in sport for people from refugee

backgrounds in the general sporting community. One of the

many issues holding back such people from engaging in

sport is a lack of connection with sports clubs. It is clear

from the previous excerpts that they see or know the

benefits of sport but they have no idea where to begin when

they want to join.

In terms of sport, I think the South Sudanese community

needs to work hard to address their issues and engage

young people in sport. I think parents are not supporting

their young people to engage in sport. This is two-way

street; clubs need to do their part in welcoming newly-

arrived or young people from multicultural community

groups in their clubs. Racist preconceptions are barriers to

the engagement of young people in sport. People refuse to

engage in clubs because of a preconception that they will be

rejected. (P# 16, Sarah)

The lack of connection with clubs and support from the

community as well as local organisations have been

identified as something holding back young people from

engaging in sport, particularly for those with refugee

backgrounds. Several participants expressed their concern

and also wanted more support to be given to refugee

community groups to engage the younger generations in

sport.

I think clubs need to be open to welcome these young

people from multicultural community groups and to be

given a chance to try their best. If they don’t perform well,

the clubs have the right to refuse. Parents also need to

support their young people to engage in sporting programs

(P# 16, Sarah)

I think people need to be engaged in relevant activities

such as sport, work, and music and dance programs to help

them get away from psychological stress and isolation. The

community needs to stand up for itself and get involved in

local activities to help them settle better. (P# 12, Glory).

African young people and their communities have the

physical power and ability to become involved with sport.

What we need is support from agencies or the government

to engage us in sport. Once we get in, we can show our skills

and talents. We need to encourage our young people and

introduce sport to them without discouraging attitudes. I

would like to see more South Sudanese young people to

actively engage in sport and work hard as good players in

order to show their positive aspects and skills in sport. (P#

13, Deng)

Sport as a settlement strategy for refugees

Sport as a settlement strategy was discussed by the

participants. They described this as one of the many

activities that can help to relate to young people.

Sport is so good in controlling young people and

engaging them in terms of settlement services and

integration. I know many young people who play basketball

and soccer from the South Sudanese community, some play

for pleasure and some take sport seriously as their career. I

know some friends and family’s friends went to America

because of basketball. They are attending a basketball

college there to become professional players. Basketball is

very strong in America but I want our young people

supported here to be better basketball players instead of

going to America. (P#11, Abiol)

I am not suggesting that sport is the only way to settle

better in Australia; there are many other positive activities

that people need to be involved in to make their settlement

easier and better. I know many young people and friends

from the South Sudanese community who play soccer and

basketball. I and other South Sudanese Australians who

play footy want people to come and join us and love footy. I

love footy so much now but not when I started it. (P# 10,

Kur)

Our young people should engage in sport to keep them

away from problems such as drinking alcohol and using

drugs. If they are engaged in sporting activities, they will

not have time to think about negative things that put their

lives in challenging situations. (P# 19, Nyibol)

People need to engage in activities that are good for their

health and future. I do see some good young people

engaging actively in sport such as basketball. These young

people have no time for thinking or spending in negative

activities that have no benefit for their future. I would

encourage South Sudanese to look for work if they are

doing studies and engage sport to help them break social

isolation. (P# 8, Amath)

Sport has helped me to see things from different angles

rather than seeing things in a one-sided view. It has taught

me to remain calm, to take time to challenge myself in a

discipline. Sport also helped me to connect with the

community, to meet friends and socialise with friends.

Sometimes I may not understand what I am doing but I can

check with friends and talk with them in which I learn or

get some clarity from them. This is a good way of using your

social network and friendships from sports. The

friendships you make in sport are the friends who very

often see more than your family. This is really because you

regularly meet them through sport, play with them and

spend time with them. (P# 4, Mayar)

Sport helps young people by keeping them occupied,

which helps them, and adults from refugee backgrounds, to

do well by focusing on activities that are helpful to them.

People who engage in a sporting program may have no time

to spend on negative activities which may cause problems.

My cousin plays basketball and all the family are very

proud of him. He does not have any time to think or spend

with some of his peers who are not actively engaged in

sport. I believe sport is a great thing that helps people to

interact and learn lots from each other, and so become

friends. (P# 8, Amath)

There is a noticeable improvement with South Sudanese

emerging basketball players helping in their local

community. The South Sudanese basketball in Sunshine

suburb attracted many boys to play during weekends. This

has brought about an observed improvement in the

community although some also want girls to play and not to

be left out.

I have seen young boys from the South Sudanese

community engage well in sport which helped them in

many ways such as keeping them busy and off the streets.

The only issue of sport for me is that I want to see girls

engage in sport and not only boys.

This is because sport creates networks and people get

jobs through networking. (P# 18, Susanne)

I used to play sport at school but not anymore,my brother

still plays sport and he loves it because it has engaged him

very well and kept him away from other destructive

activities. (P#20, Malang)

Problematic aspects of sports participation

There are some problems in sport when it comes to

participation by people from refugee backgrounds. Some of

these issues have been discussed earlier. However, the

main problematic aspects of sport for such people are the

fear of becoming involved with an unknown group, and the

lack of financial resources to support those who want to

participate. Also, some parents lack understanding of the

importance of sport as they have not engaged in sport

before for themselves.

The lack of support from parents and community is a

major barrier for many people to engage in sport. Young

people, especially from refugee and migrant backgrounds,

need lots of support and encouragement to get confidence.

Those who are not engaged in sport are like people who are

not employed. They have nothing to engage them socially

and are more likely to be depressed or engaged in drinking.

(P# 15, Maciek)

There is no enough support in the community for people

who play sport. Parents don’t support their children to

participate in sport and this is a big issue preventing us

Abur 22

from being fully involved in sport. (P# 20, Malang)

With the lack of support by parents and cultural attitudes

about sport, some parents keep their young people doing

domestic duties which deny them the chance to engage in

productive activities such as sports. The problem with

some parents in the South Sudanese community is that they

never participated in sport and some of them don’t even

know what sport is or its benefits. Sport is a new thing to

those parents who never engaged in sport and it is hard for

them to understand and allow their children to participate.

For example, when I was growing up, I wanted to be

engaged actively in sport but my mum wouldn’t let me

because she has no understanding of sport. (P# 18,

Susanne)

I used to play a lot of sport and my mother disagreed with

me all the time because she believes in education and not

sport. I had started playing soccer in Africa and I played in

many soccer competitions or leagues. When I arrived in

Australia I fell in love with basketball; this engagement

helped me to connect with many people. I still play both

basketball and soccer. I represented my high school in

basketball. I have benefited a lot because when I play sport

I always feel that I have learned some new trick. I have met

many friends through sport, including my best friend who

has a Chinese background. We became best friends because

we play together and sometimes talk about sport. I learned

a bit about his culture and he learned about my culture in

which we respect each other as best mates. (P# 5, Garang)

A lack of both parents to help young people to travel to

games was another issue. The disadvantages of solo

parenting seem to be holding some young people back from

sport because their parent is busy with many other

settlement issues. Some participants also mentioned

financial obstacles as a reason why parents were not taking

their young people to sports programs.

There is a lack of support from parents; some are single

parents looking after a number of children. They find that

they do everything for them, particularly those who want to

engage in sport but are often left out because of lack

support from their families. One of the barriers in sport is

financial. Some are not able to pay the club fees. The young

people from refugee backgrounds and their parents have no

work. It is hard for them to pay fees including

transportation to training. (P# 17, Rebecca)

This lack of resources and the fear of the unknown about

the clubs appeared to hold some people back from getting

involved. This opportunity is often denied to them by the

lack of resources and support from families. Parents have

no time to engage with or support their young people to

actively engage in sport.

Lack of resources and opportunity to engage in clubs is

because South Sudanese people are not known by sport

clubs. (P# 14, Joseph)

The financial issue is another problem holding our

community back from participating in sport. Many people

are not working and they cannot afford to pay the fee for

clubs or gyms, so people cannot be bothered when they

know that it is costing them money that they don’t have.

Issues Sci. Res. 23

(P# 20, Malang)

Some young people are very clear in understanding sport

and wanted to play as they grow up or are exposed to it.

They see sport as an activity that engages them physically

as well as an avenue for social capital. They can meet their

friends and build their social network through sport.

I wanted to play sport but my mother always said no.

The only person who used to support me was my uncle who

was very young at the time and knew lots about sport. He

always argued with my mum that sport is good for her as a

young person growing up. My mum later on put her case to

me: “Okay you can only play sport if you find your way to

the game and training; I will not be with you driving you

around to play sport all the time." She also added another

condition that she would not pay the fees or for transport.

Later I got a job for my sports but I was also able to do

house work, cleaning and washing dishes to keep my mum.

Sport is two ways; it needs commitment from young

players. (P#18, Susanne)

Racism and discrimination

The issue of racism and discrimination in sport has been

one of the many concerns for the participants. Some

participants had seen some racist comments directed to

people of minority and colour groups. The experiences of

players like Adam Goodies, the indigenous player who was

called “Ape” in a racist way, and Majok Dau, a player for

North Melbourne and member of the South Sudanese

community who was called or abused while playing, have

raised some concerns within the sporting community.

Sometimes, racism and discrimination are not openly

discussed, yet it is a disease that is putting the confidence

and good will of people down as they suffer racist

comments. For minority groups, and particularly people

from refugee backgrounds who do not have the knowledge

or skill to speak up, it is a problem.

There are some problems in sport, although the

government is trying hard to prevent racism in public areas

like sport. Still, young people from refugee and migrant

backgrounds find it a bit difficult to engage in clubs because

they find hard to fit in the big sports clubs. Sport needs to

be promoted in a way that can attract young people from

those backgrounds. Racist behaviour has deterred young

people from participating in sports and this is a problem

that needs to be addressed (P#1, Dut)

We are a multicultural nation, I love multiculturalism; we

should be allowed to engage in sport actively as part of this

society. It is does not matter where you come from. (P# 2,

Mading)

There are a few issues with sport clubs; they lack

engaging with people from refugee or African backgrounds.

Their talents are often played down and that is racism and

discrimination. There is a need for a strong advocacy to

promote more engagement of young people from refugee

community groups to participate in sport. I remember

when I tried to engage in modelling; I was told by agency

worker that they don’t work with dark skinned people

because it is hard to get jobs at the end with them. People

don’t take them for modelling show. (P# 11, Abiol)

People who experienced racism remained closed and

were not ready enough to go beyond their comfort zone.

This is a hard thing for many of our people. It is

unfortunate that racism still exists and people can

experience racism: the important message is not to let

racism hold you back. When I came to Australia, I went

through racism and discrimination. People used to say to us

on the streets, "Go back to your country," and people said to

mum, "She come from banana land, go back to your banana

land." People used to spit at me and sometimes I went

home crying, "Why did people treat me like this? What is

wrong with me?" However, later I learnt that racism and

discrimination should not hold me back. I have studied as

much as I wanted to. I learned quickly that there are good

people out there; there are good and bad people in every

society. (P# 18, Susanne)

I think there is racism, (pause) and racism is something

that will not go away for a while yet in Australia. It has been

there for years and I have encountered lots of racism in

Australia. It reached the point that it does not bother me

when I am dealing with angry people. I just brush it off and

play my sport or do what I have to do. Racism is not about

the South Sudanese or Sudanese; it is applied to many other

cultures although Australia is a multicultural society. Still,

people like me have experienced racism and discrimination.

We need to think about the history of black people in

Australia which is not that good at all but I think people

should not react to it because our reactions can give racist

people an opportunity to get what they want. I think you

must not react to racists; they are not equal to you and that

is why they are racist. There is something missing in their

lives, which is why they play the racist card. You should not

react to it at all. (P#3, Malou)

There is often negative language or abuse in sport which

can hold back minority groups and young people from

engaging actively and freely.

I have been called a name that was not good in or outside

the field but I just ignore them and keep playing because I

was doing well and they knew that I was good and that was

a reason for them to call me bad names. In sport, people can

say things to you and if you react negatively and hit

someone because of it you will get suspended and delay

your progress as a player, while probably the name-caller

may not lose anything. But you will lose your game or

progress because you are focusing too much on negative

things. (P# 10, Kur)

I have seen indigenous black Australians being treated

negatively in sport. People like Adam Goodies have been

called in a racist way while they were playing. This

confirms that racism still exists in Australia. Some people

hold negative thoughts in their minds but they cannot say it

openly as a matter of law. Australia is a multicultural

society and racism cannot be allowed to destroy this

beautiful nation. (P# 20, Malang)

You must have a certain mindset when you are playing

sport because anything can happen to you which can

destroy your play. You can hear some racist comments

directed at you when you are doing well in the field. I was

prepared by my best friend who advised me, when you are

in the game you must know that there will people who will

say things to you make you react and that is part of their

strategy to destroy you or your game. I asked him what I

could do to manage such a situation. He said, "If you are

playing in the field and you know that you are doing well,

do not listen to what they are saying to you. You keep

playing good to beat them by seeing you do well in the field

and that is best option for you to ensure that you hurt

them by scoring goals or doing well in fields. When you

keep doing well or good things you can hurt people who are

racist to you by beating them. Some of them will give up

and say, 'Wow, this kid is doing well by ignoring negative

aspects and does well in the field.' “(P# 10, Kur)

Conclusion

Participation in Sport: As part of engaging young people

with refugee backgrounds towards settling better, sport can

help to assimilate them in the mainstream community and

build connections with others. Engagingmigrants, and

particularly the younger generations, in sport assists them

to enhance social capital because sport plays a role in

helping youth to integrate and to break down potential

social isolation. It is a great source of connections and social

interaction with participants from mainstream

communities. Sport also helps young people to enhance

psychological capital through gaining confidence and

resilience skills from training and coaches. Thus, the

benefits of engaging sport by refugees have been identified

by the participants in this study and have also been

presented in quotations. Some challenges were mentioned

as being of concern, such as lack of finances to access sport,

lack of connection with sporting clubs or fear of getting

involved with an unknown group of people, racism and

discrimination, lack of support from parents and

organisations.

Although there are challenges in sport for people from

refugee backgrounds, those challenges such as meeting

education and family’s needs are often overcome or

outweighed by the benefitsfrom participating in sport. For

isolated people and newly arrived refugees, sport is a very

valuable and powerful way of connecting with others in the

community. Sport is an essential tool in bringing people

together such as players, teams, coaches, volunteers,

spectators and other community members who want to

watch the game. Sport creates relationships at different

levels - individual and community - which are asuseful asit

provides them with a positive sense of belonging.

The inclusiveness in sport is an important source of social

networking which helps people from disadvantaged and

isolated communities to enhance their relationships with

others. This can assist them to combat isolation and other

mental health problems. The Refugee Community can

benefit from sporting programs with good values such as

Abur 24

inclusion, fair play, teamwork, cooperation and respect for

opponents. These provide those people who may fear to

participate (perhaps because of prior traumatic

experiences) to acquire life skills with positive social

relationships, collaboration and mutual support.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author of this article declares that there is no conflict of

interest in relation to the research, financial support,

publication and authorship. Author acknowledged the

Victoria University as an institution where this study was

conducted as part of a PhD research project.

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Oct 2022

Tamara Ehmann

Der folgende Beitrag thematisiert die Integration von Heranwachsenden mit Fluchterfahrung in außerschulischen Bildungsangeboten. Einleitend werden grundlegende Begriffe definiert und die Lebenssituation von Heranwachsenden mit Fluchterfahrung in Deutschland geschildert. Unter Integration wird in Anlehnung an Berry (1997) die Balance zwischen der Übernahme von Normen und Werten der eigenen Herkunfts- sowie der Aufnahmekultur bei gleichzeitigem Streben nach Freundschaften aus den beiden benannten Kulturkreisen verstanden. Insbesondere die Akkulturationsstrategie der Integration begünstigt eine gesunde Entwicklung des Individuums und wird in diesem vorliegenden Beitrag vertiefend betrachtet. Mit dem Ziel der Integrationsförderung werden im Rahmen der Theorie pädagogischer Institutionen nach Merkens (2006) erste Gelingensbedingungen des pädagogischen Handelns systematisiert, die hier auf den Bereich der außerschulischen Bildungsangebote für Heranwachsende mit Fluchthintergrund übertragen werden. Abschließend werden das vorhandene Forschungsdesiderat sowie methodische und forschungsethische Herausforderungen in dem noch jungen außerschulischen Forschungsfeld um geflüchtete Heranwachsende skizziert.

Creating Spaces of Wellbeing and Belonging for Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Students: Skills and Strategies for Classroom Teachers

Book

Full-text available

Oct 2022

Belonging through sport participation for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A scoping review

Article

Oct 2020

Background Research suggests that sport facilitates belonging for diverse athletes. This scoping review characterizes literature on sport participation and belonging for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Materials and Methods A search of five databases identified 17,497 articles. Selected articles (N = 39) underwent data extraction and analysis guided by a theoretical framework of belonging, outlining four processes through which belonging is experienced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Results Articles originated from developed countries and in the context of Special Olympics (N = 17). Studies commonly used qualitative interviews with proxy respondents. While all studies described at least one belonging process, only 11 studies applied the term “belonging,” and no study defined the construct. Conclusion Belonging is not well‐conceptualized in sports literature for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Understanding belonging through sport participation for this population may inform sport‐based policies and programming.

Playing for the future: The role of sport and recreation in supporting refugee young people to 'settle well' in Australia

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2008

Louise Olliff

The Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues (CMY) held a series of consultations and forums in 2007 to explore the role of sport and recreation in supporting refugee and migrant young people to 'settle well' in Australia. This article presents some of the findings documented in Playing for the future (Olliff 2007), the discussion paper that emerged from those investigations. The potential benefits and problems associated with the use of sport and recreation in this context are discussed and recommendations made for future areas of research.

Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2000

W. Lawrence Neuman

Networking in Sport Management: Ideas and Activities to Enhance Student Engagement and Career Development

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Alan Kornspan

Out of Play: Critical Essays on Gender and Sport

Book

Mar 2010

Michael A. Messner

The forms of capital

Article

Jan 1986

P. Bourdieu

Social capital: a road map of theoretical frameworks and empirical limitations

Article

Jan 2013

Luca Andriani

The general idea of social capital is that relationships matter. In this sense, trust, cooperation and reciprocity involved in these relationships can have a positive impact on the wealth of the society by reducing transaction costs, facilitating collective actions and lowering opportunistic behaviour. This work sheds light on the different theoretical and empirical problems that a scholar is likely to face in dealing with social capital research and analysis. We propose a critical road map of the social capital theories and applications for a general audience, non-users included, with particular attention to the works of political and social economists. We provide a critical debate on the different definitions and measures produced, the theoretical frameworks developed and the empirical techniques adopted so far in the analysis of the impact of social capital on socio-economic outcomes. We stress on the limitations of these techniques and we suggest some basic strategies to reduce the magnitude of these limitations.

A Comparative Analysis of Perceived Benefits of Participation between Recreational Sport Programs

Article

Apr 2013

This study examined recreational sports, with a focus on a comparative analysis of the overall, social, intellectual, and fitness perceived benefits associated with participation in three separate recreational program areas: group fitness, intramural sport, and sport clubs. A survey instrument, based upon the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ) and Quality and Importance of Recreational Services (QIRS) perceived benefit scale, was administered to 1,176 students at a post-secondary institution. Results revealed a significant difference in perceived benefits between recreational program areas, with sport clubs reporting the greatest mean in all four perceived benefit groups (overall, social, intellectual, fitness). The study also found a significant positive correlation between all perceived benefit groups. These findings have implications for practitioners in terms of perceived benefit differences, suggesting advantages of the sport club program structure and the potential multiple effects of enhancing a perceived benefit group.

A Fair Game for All? How Community Sports Clubs in Australia Deal With Diversity

Article

Jul 2013

Diversity and equality are key issues confronting sport. This article draws on findings from qualitative research carried out in Australia to critically examine how diversity is understood and valued in community sport. The findings suggest that there is a discrepancy between the policy objectives of government and sport organizations and the way in which diversity is understood and responded to in practice. Diversity management is not being adopted widely among local sports clubs. The idea of a moral imperative to cater to people with diverse backgrounds and abilities is largely absent; rather, the dominant discourse is underpinned by a business rationale which interprets diversity in terms of benefits and costs to the organization. This business-driven approach is often detrimental to the social policy objective of ensuring equitable outcomes in sport. A fundamental reconsideration of the rationale and practice of managing diversity in sport is therefore necessary.

Measuring Social Capital: Towards a Theoretical Informed Measurement Framework for Researching Social Capital in Family and Community Life

Book