Background and objective of the project
The project examines programmes and measures of Swiss sports associations to promote physical activity and integration of girls and young women. The lower sports participation and lower sports club membership of girls and young women compared to boys and young men of the same age has been scientifically documented for several years. Especially along socio-economic and socio-cultural determinants go hand in hand with more difficult access to and lower social integration in organised sport. Historically, however, women's sport is gaining in importance and public interest, so that on the one hand private actors recognise functional arguments and public actors fulfil civil society obligations to promote the participation and social integration of girls and (young) women in sport, especially those with a migration background. Especially sports associations of sports with a low participation rate of female athletes are becoming increasingly active, but are dependent on successful cooperation with their member clubs in promoting integration.
On the one hand, qualitative case studies will be used to analyse which discourses on association policy and social structures as well as decision-making processes underlie the associations' commitment to promotion and how these come about. On the other hand, especially at the interface with sports clubs, the present research project aims to examine programmes and measures at the association level in terms of their launch and interpretation at the local-regional level and, above all, to shed light on how and to what extent these promotion programmes and measures are implemented in the respective participating sports clubs.
Current state of knowledge, research gaps and relevance
Club sports continue to be attractive to Swiss youth and young adults, and 42% of the age group between 15 and 24 are members of a sports club (Lamprecht et al., 2020). However, women are underrepresented (Lamprecht et al., 2020) and especially women with a migration background (MB) participate comparatively less in sports clubs (Lamprecht et al., 2017; Makarova & Herzog, 2014). Various individual (e.g. lack of support, difficult access) and organisational hurdles (e.g. lack of offers) hinder higher participation in club sport among young women.
Against the backdrop of the sports policy demand for equal access and participation of the entire population in sport, the observed gender-related unequal sports participation and social integration in organised sport suggests targeted measures. In the context of organised club sport and the exploration of its possibilities and potentials for the promotion of physical activity and integration of girls and young women, the association level has a special significance as a strategic element with a potential steering function. It is therefore necessary to ask to what extent social structures and initiatives already exist at this level that influence the promotion of physical activity and integration of girls and young women (with MB) by the member associations in different ways. Similar to the association level (Seiberth et al., 2013), it is to be expected that various structural conditions, for example in the form of women in leadership and decision-making positions, put certain topics on the agenda and strengthen the development and launch of programmes and measures to promote the physical activity and integration of girls and young women. Especially with regard to the implementation of programmes and measures at the association level, it seems important to examine the steering by the association with regard to its potential. As a self-organised community of interests, associations tend to react defensively to changes brought to them from "outside" (Koski, 2012; Skille, 2008) and it proves difficult to change the organisational structure from "outside" (Thiel & Meyer, 2004). Programmes and measures from the association level are more likely to be implemented in clubs if they correspond to internal interests and goals (Harris, 2009).
Theoretical-methodological approach
The implementation of qualitative case studies in 3 Swiss sports associations includes problem-centred expert interviews with association and club officials as well as focus groups with decision-makers in the clubs that implement programmes and measures. If necessary, the corresponding regional associations are also taken into account. Case studies provide an in-depth and holistic view of the practices, structures and processes regarding the promotion of girls and women in the selected sports associations.
Theoretical foundations are to be found in policy research and research on organisational institutionalism.
In selecting the sports associations that are specifically involved in promoting the integration and physical activity of girls and young women with programmes and measures, we proceeded as follows. In a first step, the association database of the member and partner associations of Swiss Olympic was compared with the sports of Youth + Sport. In a second step, the sports associations that are not represented with their club activities in the national children's and youth sports promotion programme Youth + Sport were excluded. In a third step, the pre-selection was further narrowed down to sports associations that have initiated programmes and measures to specifically promote the integration and movement of girls and young women and implement these via their member clubs. The selection was made after reviewing association documents and annual reports as well as programme-related documents. The shortlist includes the three associations Swiss Badminton, Swiss Icehockey and Swiss Football.
Literature
Campbell, J. L. (2004). Institutional Change and Globalization. Princeton Press.
Harris, S., Mori, K., & Collins, M. (2009). Great expectations: Voluntary sports clubs and their role in delivering national policy for English sport. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 20, Article 405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-009-9095-y
Koski, P. (2012). Sport and cultures – Bonding and/or bridging. In R. Lidor, K.-H. Schneider & K. Koenen (Eds.), Proceedings. Sport as a Mediator between Cultures. International Conference on Sport for Development and Peace. September 15th-17th, 2011 (pp. 97-104). Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport, Israel.
Lamprecht, M., Bürgi, R., Gebert, A., & Stamm, H. (2017). Sportvereine in der Schweiz. Entwicklungen, Herausforderungen und Perspektiven. Bundesamt für Sport BASPO.
Lamprecht, M., Bürgi, R., & Stamm, H. (2020): Sport Schweiz 2020. Sportaktivität und Sportinteresse der Schweizer Bevölkerung. Bundesamt für Sport BASPO.
Lascoumes, P., & Le Galès, P. (2007). Introduction: Understanding public policy through its instruments—From the nature of instruments to the sociology of public policy instrumentation. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, 20, 1–21.
Makarova, E., & Herzog, W. (2014). Sport as a means of immigrant youth integration: An empirical study of sports, intercultural relations, and immigrant youth integration in Switzerland. Sportwissenschaft, 44, 1-9.
Nagel, S. (2006). Sportvereine im Wandel. Akteurtheoretische Analysen zur Entwicklung von Sportvereinen. Hofmann.
Seiberth, K., Weigelt-Schlesinger, Y., & Schlesinger, T. (2013). Wie integrationsfähig sind Sportvereine? Eine Analyse organisationaler Integrationsbarrieren am Beispiel von Mädchen und Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund. Sport und Gesellschaft, 10, 174-198.
Skille, E. Å. (2008). Understanding sport clubs as sport policy implementers. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 43, 181-200. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690208096035
Stenling, C., & Fahlén, J. (2016). Same same, but different? Exploring the organizational identities of Swedish voluntary sports: Possible implications of sports clubs’ self-identification for their role as implementers of policy objectives. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 51, 867-883. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690214557103
Thiel, A., & Meyer, H. (2004). Überleben durch Abwehr – Zur Lernfähigkeit des Sportvereins. Sport und Gesellschaft, 1, 103-124. https://doi.org/10.1515/sug-2004-0202
Thiel, A., & Mayer, J. (2009). Characteristics of voluntary sport clubs management: A sociological perspective. European Journal of Sport Management, 9, 81-98.
