Ethnic identities, sense of belonging and the significance of sport: stories from immigrant youths in Germany

Burrmann, Ulrike; Brandmann, Katrin; Mutz, Michael; Zender, Ursula

doi:10.1080/16138171.2017.1349643

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This is strengthened by the loss of social status (Agier, 2016) and a possible individual negative spiral because of his or her traumatic experiences, grief, depression and other feelings that might impact on well-being (Sutton et al, 2011). Although sport participation might represent a coping mechanism (Burrmann et al, 2017; Goodman, 2004), their minds are usually elsewhere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several scholars use a narrative or interpretive lens to make sense of refugees’ experiences with sport (e.g. Burrmann et al, 2017; Evers, 2010; Spaaij, 2013); however, none have concentrated on the meaning of social spaces therein. We therefore argue for broadening the scope of research on reception centres to focus on refugees’ narratives.…”

Section: Developing the Research Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several authors (Agier, 2016; Burrmann et al, 2017; Steindl et al, 2008) have shown that refugees try to find activities that help to fill the time and give some sense to their everyday experiences. Sport could be a practice that makes the reception centre more meaningful to refugees by providing them with (physical) activities, encounters with ‘others’ (such as other refugees, Dutch citizens and volunteers), a feeling of belonging (Yuval-Davis, 2011) and, possibly, sport activities might also lead to discussions among refugees about experiences with inclusionary and exclusionary practices within the host society (see also Burrmann et al, 2017). Following public policy rhetoric, these encounters might subsequently provide refugees with social contacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sport in liminal spaces: The meaning of sport activities for refugees living in a reception centre

Waardenburg

Visschers

Deelen

et al. 2018

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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This article focuses on the meaning of sport activities for refugees living in a reception centre. We conceptualise the reception centre as a liminal space and analyse how this liminal space affects the meanings of sport activities for refugees. Based on interviews with refugees living in a reception centre we show how sport in this liminal space is to a large extent experienced as a way to overcome the boredom experienced at the centre, to forget about their daily struggles, but also has a large social function as it is an easy opportunity to meet with others. We argue that liminal spaces constrain the organisation of sport activities and its possibilities for realising sport’s ascribed positive spill-overs, such as increasing feelings of belonging. We call for future research, including creative social research approaches, that focus on refugees’ own narratives in order to better understand the role social space plays for the meaning of sport activities for this particular vulnerable group.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Developing the Research Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sport in liminal spaces: The meaning of sport activities for refugees living in a reception centre

Waardenburg

Visschers

Deelen

et al. 2018

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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“…Compared to these accounts, self-organized sports activities of young males from ethnic minorities were less often examined, just as their relation to identity development. This is by all means surprising since it is a reasonable assumption that sport has a particular meaning for these youths and may impact on their personality, identity and sense of belonging (e.g., Burrmann et al, 2017). Accordingly, this study aims at investigating the significance that self-organized sports activities have for the identity development of young Muslim men who grow up under adverse conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

On the Search for Social Esteem: An Ethnography on the Meanings of Football for Marginalized Male Migrants

Müller

Mutz

2018

YOUNG

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Following Honneth's theorizing on social esteem and based on ethnographic accounts, this study argues that sporting practices are of crucial importance for marginalized young men's social and self-esteem. The material presented shows the following: (a) these youths suffer from spoiled identities and negative self-images due to educational failure and perceived inferior social positions; (b) they see sporting activities as a legitimate cultural sphere, where excellent skills are recognized and valued not only by their families and friends, but also by the society as whole; (c) ethnographic observations and interviews show the staging of sportiness at urban football grounds and (d) how these performances translate into various forms of social esteem, for example, athletic dominance, masculine honour and fellowship. It is concluded that for these youths, sporting activities at urban football grounds become the most important practice for securing social esteem, allowing to compensate for perceived failure in other social domains, most notably the educational domain.

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“…Thus, similar to many nations’ policies for integration, inclusion via sport is perceived in functionalist terms offering cultural and social integration into the host society, and as something that is straightforward and uncontested. This article, however, builds upon the view that integration is a contested concept (Ager and Strand, 2008; Rutter, 2006) and sport as an arena for integration can be wrought with problems, such as cultivating limited social capital among refugees, providing transient feelings of belonging, or, in some instances, leading to a heightened sense of social exclusion (Burrmann et al, 2017; Coalter, 2007; Doherty and Taylor, 2007; Jeanes et al, 2015; Spaaij, 2012, 2015; Spaaij et al, 2014a; Spracklen et al, 2015; Waardenburg et al, 2019; Walseth, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical discourse analysis of a local enactment of sport for integration policy: Helping young refugees or self-help for voluntary sports clubs?

Dowling

2019

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

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An increasing number of scholars argue that politicians’ ill-defined policies of sport for integration are difficult to realize and, paradoxically, can lead to a sense of alterity and exclusion. This paper provides a micro-analysis of the ‘slippage’ between government visions of sport for integration for refugees and the local, contextual interpretations of sport policy for inclusion. From a critical constructivist perspective, influenced by critical race theory, it examines policy enactment by asking: ‘How did sport for integration of young refugees get talked and written about in a voluntary sports club?’; ‘How did this language in use construct the practices that became locally naturalized?’; and ‘What ideologies were underpinning these realities’? Findings from the critical discourse analysis revealed that local enactments of policy for integration were mostly built upon assimilationist ideas that can exclude, rather than integrate, refugees, and did ideological work to uphold racialized hierarchies in sport. Alternative visions of integration (such as two-way processes of integration or ideas about celebrating cultural diversity) were rationally marginalized in the everyday business of the voluntary sports club, namely, competitive sport. The findings contribute to the literature that claims VSCs may be unsuitable arenas for integration initiatives aiming to provide meaningful physical activity for refugee youth.

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Ethnic identities, sense of belonging and the significance of sport: stories from immigrant youths in Germany

Cited by 29 publications

References 32 publications

Sport in liminal spaces: The meaning of sport activities for refugees living in a reception centre

Sport in liminal spaces: The meaning of sport activities for refugees living in a reception centre

On the Search for Social Esteem: An Ethnography on the Meanings of Football for Marginalized Male Migrants

A critical discourse analysis of a local enactment of sport for integration policy: Helping young refugees or self-help for voluntary sports clubs?

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