Cross-National Sports Club Study Report. Integration of newly arrived migrants through organised sport - from European policy to local sports club practice (INAMOS)

Abstract

To scale up sport-based integration activities in Europe, a more in-depth understanding of the underlying processes within the local voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) is urgently required. If we assume that, from a medium- and long-term perspective, a significantly broader base of VSCs should be involved in targeted policies and practices for “integration through sport”, a number of specific issues arise in relation to this challenge that should be addressed more systematically. Despite some evidence from previous research, we do not yet know enough about the determinants that could explain or predict a sports club´s willingness or ability to implement specific programmes and initiatives for integrating migrants, refugees or other vulnerable groups. The quantitative research that was undertaken by the SIVSCE research consortium did show a general disposition and willingness among European VSCs to support the integration of newly arrived migrants (NAMs) and other vulnerable groups and there is evidence that, for example, the size of a sports club, the type of sports they offer or their attitude towards performance and competition correlate with structural integration (Elmose-Østerlund et al., 2019). Yet there also still information gaps, open questions and contradictions which cannot be explained by quantitative research alone. Policy makers and sport organisations in Europe are interested in more detailed, qualitative information on how VSCs can be motivated and empowered to get more systematically involved in social integration practices. In particular, we need a better understanding of what motivates local sports clubs to open up their organisation to newcomers, and how decisions for or against targeted integration practices are made within the organisation. The specific nature of VSCs must be considered when researching these processes. In this context, it is important to mention that VSCs are “communities of interests” that have the primary mandate of satisfying the interests of their members (Horch, 1992). Therefore, integrative efforts of VSCs for NAMs depend on the dispositions – i.e. the ability and willingness – of the VSCs as implementers of social integration (Agergaard, 2011; Dowling, 2019; basically Skille, 2008). At the same time, implementing specific policies and programmes related to social integration or other important societal causes may benefit a VSC. Nevertheless, such a kind of social responsibility for VSCs may also come with costs or have unintended consequences that are not aligned with the initial interests of their members or stakeholders. Therefore, this report addresses the third and fourth main research questions of the INAMOS project: RQ3: Which factors are relevant in the process for successful implementation (“roll-in”) of programmes for the integration of NAMs? Which factors hinder the implementation of programmes, even when the sports clubs are involved in the integration of NAMs? RQ4: How do sport-based integration practices for NAMs change the sports club as an organisation? Which intended and unintended consequences can be observed and does this change the commitment of the original volunteers and members? In the figure below, these two main research questions are embedded in the multi-level framework and presented in relation to the other main research questions (for more detail see the report: PROJECT MANUAL).