Abstract
Sports is generally believed to improve well-being and to bring benefits ranging from health promotion to the enhancement of social capital. At the same time, research has indicated that living in poverty negatively affects the likelihood of practicing sports. Yet, from the literature, it is not clear how the lower participation rates of people in poverty should be understood. Based on 33 semi-structured interviews and four focus groups, we (1) explore the meaning of sports participation for people in poverty and (2) evaluate the opportunities for practicing sports. As their voices often remain unheard, we take the perspective of people in poverty as a starting point. The results indicate, amongst other things, that sports practice remains possible when living with few resources, but potential social benefits of sports often stay out of reach. The link between scarcity of resources and social exclusion, as documented in the literature on poverty, is strongly present in the field of sports as well. In order to enhance the actual opportunities for doing sports, activities need to be organised in a financially, socially and physically safe way.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
In order to guarantee the anonymity of the respondents, we use pseudonyms for the organisations as well as the participants.
The interviews from the fifth setting have been excluded, due to several methodological concerns. First, not all participants appeared to be living in poverty, which was not clear at the start. Second, some interviews were of low quality (different interviewer). Lastly, the strong focus on health in the programme, and the fact that all participants were practicing sports by definition, led to a selection bias which was at odds with the set-up of the study.
References
Adair, V., & Dahlberg, S. (2003). Reclaiming class: Women, poverty and the promise of higher education in America. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Adena, M., & Myck, M. (2014). Poverty and transitions in health in later life. Social Science and Medicine, 116, 202–210.
Allender, S., Cowburn, G., & Foster, C. (2006). Understanding participation in sport and physical activity among children and adults: A review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research, 21(6), 826–835.
Bailey, R. (2005). Evaluating the relationship between physical education, sport and social inclusion. Educational Review, 57(1), 71–90.
Baker Collins, S. (2005). An understanding of poverty from those who are poor. Action Research, 3(1), 9–31.
Bennett, F., & Roberts, M. (2004). From input to influence. Participatory approaches to research and inquiry into poverty. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Berghman, J. (1995). Social exclusion in Europe: Policy context and analytical framework. In G. Room (Ed.), Beyond the threshold. The measurement and analysis of social exclusion. Bristol: Policy Press.
Bloyce, D., & Smith, A. (2010). Sport policy and development. An introduction. London: Routledge.
Boon, B., & Farnsworth, J. (2011). Social exclusion and poverty: Translating social capital into accessible resources. Social Policy and Administration, 45(5), 507–524.
Bowling, C. P. (2002). Exploring the leisure lives of the working poor through photo-elicitation. Leisure/Loisir, 27(1–2), 3–30.
Burchardt, T., Le Grand, J., & Piachaud, D. (1999). Social exclusion in Britain 1991–1995. Social Policy and Administration, 33(3), 227–244.
Castel, R. (2000). The roads to disaffiliation: Insecure work and vulnerable relationships. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 24(3), 519–535.
Chase, E., & Walker, R. (2012). The co-construction of shame in the context of poverty: Beyond a threat to the social bond. Sociology, 47(4), 739–754.
Coalter, F. (1998). Leisure studies, leisure policy and social citizenship: The failure of welfare or the limits of welfare? Leisure Studies, 17(1), 21–36.
Coalter, F. (2007). A wider social role for sport. Who’s keeping the score?. London: Routledge.
Collins, M. (2004). Sport, physical activity and social exclusion. Journal of Sport Sciences, 22(8), 727–740.
Collins, M., & Kay, T. (2014). Sport and social exclusion (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Deutsch, J., Guio, A.-C., Pomati, M., & Silber, J. (2015). Material deprivation in Europe: Which expenditures are curtailed first? Social Indicators Research, 120, 723–740.
Donnelly, P., & Coakley, J. (2002). The role of recreation in promoting social inclusion (Perspectives on Social Inclusion Working Paper Series). Toronto: Laidlaw Foundation.
Driessens, K., & Van Regenmortel, T. (2006). Bind-Kracht in armoede. Leefwereld en hulpverlening, Boek 1 [The strength of ties in poverty. Lifeworld and social care] Leuven: LannooCampus.
Elling, A., & Knoppers, A. (2005). Sport, gender and ethnicity. Practices of symbolic inclusion/exclusion. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(4), 257–268.
European Commission (2014). Sport and physical activity (Special Eurobarometer Report 412/EB80.2). Brussels: European Commission—Directorate-General for Education and Culture.
Frisby, W., & Millar, S. (2002). The actualities of doing community development to promote the inclusion of low income populations in local sport and recreation. European Sport Management Quarterly, 2, 209–233.
Hartmann, D., & Kwauk, C. (2011). Sport and development: An overview, critique and reconstruction. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 35(3), 285–305.
Hartmann-Tews, I. (2006). Social stratification in sport and sport policy in the European Union. European Journal for Sport and Society, 3(2), 109–124.
Hirsch, D. (2006). Where poverty intersects with social exclusion: Evidence and features of solutions. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Humbert, M. L., Chad, K. E., Spink, K. S., Muhajarine, N., Anderson, K. D., Bruner, M. W., et al. (2006). Factors that influence physical activity participation among high- and low-SES youth. Qualitative Health Research, 16(4), 467–483.
Jackson, E. (2000). Will research on leisure constraints still be relevant in the twenty-first century? Journal of Leisure Research, 32(1), 62–68.
Jackson, E. (2005). Leisure constraints research: Overview of a developing theme in leisure studies. In E. Jackson (Ed.), Constraints to leisure (pp. 3–19). State College: Venture.
Jarvie, G. (2003). Communitarianism, sport and social capital. Neighbourly insights into Scottish sport. International Review for theSociology, 38(2), 139–153.
Kavanagh, A. M., Goller, J. L., King, T., Jolley, D., Crawford, D., & Turrell, G. (2005). Urban area disadvantage and physical activity: A multilevel study in Melbourne, Australia. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 59, 934–940.
Kelly, L. (2011). ‘Social inclusion’ through sports-based interventions? Critical Social Policy, 31(1), 126–150.
Kitzinger, J. (1994). The methodology of focus groups: The importance of interaction between research participants. Sociology of Health and Illness, 16(1), 103–121.
Klitzing, S. (2004). Women living in a homeless shelter: Stress, coping and leisure. Journal of Leisure Research, 36(4), 483–512.
Lerner, M. P. (1979). Surplus powerlessness. Social Policy, 9(4), 18–27.
Lister, R. (2004). Poverty. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Liu, Y.-D. (2009). Sport and social inclusion: Evidence from the performance of public leisure facilities. Social Indicators Research, 90, 325–337.
Long, J., & Sanderson, I. (2001). The social benefits of sport: Where’s the proof? In C. Gratton & I. Henry (Eds.), Sport in the city: The role of sport in economic and social regeneration (pp. 187–203). London: Routledge.
Marlier, M., Cardon, G., De Bourdeaudhuij, I, & Willem, A. (2014). A capacity building approach to increase sports participation in disadvantaged communities: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicin, 91(6), 1114–1128.
Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2014). Scarcity. The true cost of not having enough. London: Penguin Books.
Nicholson, M., & Hoye, R. (Eds.). (2008). Sport and social capital. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Pedersen, P., Grønbæk, M., & Curtis, T. (2011). Associations between deprived life circumstances, wellbeing and self-rated health in a socially marginalised population. European Journal of Public Health, 22(5), 647–652.
Reid, C., Frisby, W., & Ponic, P. (2002). Confronting two-tiered community recreation and poor women’s exclusion: Promoting inclusion, health and social justice. Canadian Women’s Studies, Special Issue ‘Women and Sport’, 21(3), 88–94.
Reijgersberg, N., & van der Poel, H. (2014). Sportdeelname van kinderen in armoede [Sportparticipation of children in poverty]. Utrecht: Mulier Instituut.
Richardson, L., & Le Grand, J. (2002). Outsider and insider expertise: The response of residents of deprived neighbourhoods to an academic definition of social exclusion. Social Policy and Administration, 36(5), 496–515.
Scott, J., & McCarville, R. (2008). Leisure behaviors among selected women living in poverty. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 26(4), 83–104.
Silver, H. (2007). The process of social exclusion: The dynamics of an evolving concept. CPRC Working Paper 95, Manchester: Chronic Poverty Research Centre.
Spaaij, R. (2011). Sport and social mobility: Crossing boundaries. London: Routledge.
Stewart, M., Reutter, L., Makwarimba, E., Veenstra, G., Love, R., & Raphael, D. (2008). Left out: Perspectives on social exclusion and inclusion across income groups. Health Sociology Review, 17(1), 78–94.
Trussell, D. E., & Mair, H. (2010). Seeking judgment free spaces: Poverty, leisure, and social inclusion. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(4), 513–533.
Vallerand, J., & Young, B. W. (2014). Are adults sportspersons and exercisers that different? Exploring how motives predict commitment and lapses. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(4), 339–356.
Van Tuyckom, C. & Scheerder, J. (2010). Sport for all? Insight into stratification and compensation mechanisms of sporting activity in the EU-27. Sport, Education & Society, 15(4), 495–512.
Waddington, I. (2000). Sport, health and drugs. A critical sociological perspective. London: E. & F.N. Spon.
Waring, A., & Mason, C. (2010). Opening doors: Promoting social inclusion through increased sports opportunities. Sport in Society, 13(3), 517–529.
Withall, J., Jago, R., & Fox, K. R. (2011). Why some do but most don’t. Barriers and enablers to engaging low-income groups in physical activity programmes: A mixed methods study. BMC Public Health, 11, 507–520.
Yancey, A. K., Ory, M. G., & Davis, S. M. (2006). Dissemination of physical activity promotion interventions in underserved populations. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(4S), S82–S91.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Elien Claes, Jeroen Humblet and Sien Mispelter for their help during data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vandermeerschen, H., Van Regenmortel, T. & Scheerder, J. ‘There are Alternatives, but Your Social Life is Curtailed’: Poverty and Sports Participation from an Insider Perspective. Soc Indic Res 133, 119–138 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1360-z
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1360-z