Thirteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

This study explores the ways in which sport clubs engage with activism. With globalisation and an increasingly connected world, the phenomenon of activism through sport is growing rapidly. There have been comprehensive analyses of sporting figures such as Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick, Lewis Hamilton or the Norwegian women’s volleyball team in terms of their own activism with a view to improve not only their sport but to affect long-lasting social change. While a rise has been seen in research concerning individual sporting figures and activism, the area of sporting institutions and activism remains largely unexplored. Given the impact of the activism and advocacy of individual sporting figures, this paper posits that sports clubs and sporting institutions may hold further potential as a way to achieve sustainable positive change within their own communities. With the prospective of greater connectivity and a wider reach, sporting institutions may be posited as role models for broader, systemic social change. Through a scoping review, comprising of both academic journals and grey literature, identification of this new phenomenon is explored. By using a scoping review, it enables a high volume of information to be synthesised, providing an overview of what has been investigated thus far and therefore giving direction to future research. This research aims to answer the following questions: “Who are the sport clubs leading activism?”; “What are the types of activism they carry out?”; and “How have they been discussed in ‘the literature’ thus far?”.