Abstract
When it comes to scientific research in sports, most European countries conduct country-specific investigation programmes for which mostly non-harmonised standards are applied. As a consequence, reliable, pan-European data of organisational and participatory aspects of (club-organised) sports, both cross-nationally and cross-temporally, are lacking. The present chapter tries to overcome this gap by using available data of three waves of the harmonised Eurobarometer survey. More precisely, we aim to investigate (1) active participation in (club-organised) sports; (2) health-related club-organised participation; (3) social integration in clubs; and (4) volunteering in club-organised sports. On all these aspects, regional differences within Europe as well as differences between social groups are examined. Results demonstrate that club-organised sports participation declined in all regions among almost all social strata. In general, underrepresented groups (women, elderly and lower educated), who live in Northern Europe, seem to enjoy better opportunities to participate in club-organised sports. In addition, clubs seem to be a good environment to promote social integration. The results presented in this chapter indicate that harmonised instruments such as the Eurobarometer are indispensable for cross-national and cross-temporal comparisons. In addition, these surveys facilitate the preparation and implementation of evidence-based sports policy programmes at the European level.
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Notes
- 1.
Examples of other harmonised cross-European or international surveys in which sports-related questions are included are the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS, see Eurostat 2019b, c), European Social Survey (ESS, see ESS 2020), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC, see Eurostat 2019d, g), European Values Study (EVS, see GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences [GESIS] 2019a), Harmonised European Time Use Surveys (HETUS, see Eurostat 2019e, j), Household Budget Survey (hbs, see Eurostat 2019a, f), International Social Survey Programme (ISSP, see GESIS 2019b, c), International Trade in Sporting Goods (sprt_trd, see Eurostat 2019h), etc. In the present chapter, however, we prefer to make use of the Eurobarometer surveys since this instrument provides comparable data for at least three time intervals in a row.
- 2.
Although questions about sports and sports participation in particular have been sporadically included in some Eurobarometer surveys ever since 1983, a valid comparison between different time intervals is only possible for the 2009–2017 period. Due to the use of different definitions (cf. a dissimilar operationalisation of sports participation and club membership) or the inclusion of different age groups (cf. young people only versus people aged fifteen and over), the available data from pre-2009 Eurobarometer surveys are not suitable for accurate comparisons over time (see, among others, European Commission 2000, 2003, 2006; European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Industrial Relations, and Social Affairs, Directorate V/F.3 1999; Eurostat 2004). One exception, however, needs to be made here since the 2004 survey asks the same question as in 2009, 2013 and 2017 with regard to active participation in sports (European Commission 2004).
- 3.
The absolute numbers presented here are the result of a weighted calculation by the authors based on available, country-specific demographic data for 2017 concerning inhabitants aged 15 years and older in each of the EU28 member states (Eurostat 2019i). In addition, participation rates are taken into account for each of the EU28 countries (European Commission 2018).
- 4.
Based on the Eurobarometer surveys, club-organised sports participation can be defined in two ways. On the one hand, club-organised sports participation is defined as the membership of a sports club (besides other contexts where one can practise sports, such as a sociocultural association or a fitness centre). On the other hand, the location or setting where one practises his or her sport is taken into consideration to define club-organised sports participation (besides a sports club, also other locations/settings like a school, a park, a sports centre, etc.). In this chapter club-organised sports participation is determined by considering active membership of a sports club and/or a sociocultural association that includes sports in its activities.
- 5.
The precise wording of the respective question in the 2004 Eurobarometer was “In your opinion, which of the following values does sport promote the most?” (European Commission 2004). Multiple answers were possible to this question.
- 6.
The precise wording of the respective statement in the 2004 Eurobarometer was “Sport promotes the integration of immigrant populations by developing a dialogue between different cultures”. (European Commission 2004). Possible answers to this statement were “agree”, “disagree” and “don’t know”.
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Scheerder, J., Helsen, K., Elmose-Østerlund, K., Nagel, S. (2020). Exploring Pan-European Similarities and Differences in Club-Organised Sports: A Cross-National and Cross-Temporal Comparison. In: Nagel, S., Elmose-Østerlund, K., Ibsen, B., Scheerder, J. (eds) Functions of Sports Clubs in European Societies . Sports Economics, Management and Policy, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48535-1_13
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