Abstract
Migration – both economic and forced – has significantly contributed to the change of European ethnic population composition over the past three decades. As a result, how to manage such a phenomenon has attracted the interest of academics, policy makers, and civil society. The major objective pursued has been the so-called social inclusion of migrants – especially asylum seekers and refugees. Sport has been considered one of the potential mediums to be used to avoid a “clash of civilisations” (Huntington, 1996) and foster social cohesion. Yet, there is no universally agreed definition of social inclusion and its indicators vary. Hence, in this study I critically assess the potential of football in engendering friendship and various senses of belonging for asylum seekers/refugees. The senses of belonging – albeit subjective and as a result, multifaceted – depict the standpoints and perceptions of migrants. Indeed, they do not rely on objective indicators. On the contrary, they express feelings and multiple identities that football has the potential to make dialogue. To elicit this purpose Street Soccer in Glasgow – a recreational football team made of local and international players – is taken as case study. The qualitative research carried out, gives voice to the players using semi-structured interviews. Finally, the paper outlines some of the determinants that render the sport plus project (Coalter, 2007) a positive agent of social change in asylum seekers’ and refugees’ lives.
Presenters
Marianna PavanPhD candidate, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Identities, Diversity, Cultures, Migration, Ethnicity, Football, Sociology, Belonging, Social Inclusion
