Developing social capital through sport? The case for an intersectional lens

Abstract

This commentary paper draws on existing theory and literature to explore the application of an intersectional lens to research regarding social capital development through sport. Sport is frequently endorsed as a site to facilitate social capital development for those from newly arrived and migrant backgrounds due to its potential to diversify social networks. However, systemic discrimination has marginalized and minoritized groups of people based on attributes such as race, gender and class, making access to capital associated with positive life outcomes less attainable for some. An intersectional lens is vital for understanding the impact of systemic discrimination on access to resources via social networks, and for research into the mechanisms involved in social capital development for diverse individuals and settings. This paper argues that there has been insufficient attention given to ways in which intersectionality shapes experiences and outcomes associated with social networks, particularly in sport settings. We apply this argued case to a discussion regarding the specific role sports participation may have in social capital development for migrant background women from culturally and racially marginalized groups.