Informal sport, refugee resettlement and sport-for-development
Abstract
There is a growing body of research examining the role of sport in refugee resettlement which has highlighted both the value of sport in assisting forced migrants to adjust to new countries, cultures and systems and critiqued the use of sport as a tool for assimilation. Within Australian policy there is a strong rhetoric regarding the value of sport as a social policy tool that supports resettlement and integration processes. Similar to much of the sport for development (SfD) work undertaken globally, enactment of sport and refugee resettlement policy agendas in Australia have typically involved agencies developing programmatic responses implementing specific initiatives that are tailored towards engaging refugee communities and providing various resources and support alongside facilitating sport participation. Whilst offering important avenues for sport participation, social connection and belonging, the ongoing sustainability of programmes is challenging and dependent on ongoing financial investment and resources. This chapter examines an area that has received limited attention previously, exploring the ways in which refugee communities organically develop sporting opportunities within their own communities and how these contribute to participants experiences of resettlement and belonging and ongoing connections with home cultures. Such participation has implications for how sport and refugee resettlement policy and approaches link to SfD practice. The data presented was collected as part of a larger multi-method three-year study examining informal sport participation in Australia.
RAS ID
82343
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Volume
Part F527
School
School of Education
Copyright
subscription content
Publisher
Springer
Identifier
Dawn Penney: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2000-8953
Recommended Citation
Jeanes, R., Magee, J., Penney, D., Spaaij, R., O’Connor, J., Ravi, A., & Truskewycz, H. (2025). Informal sport, refugee resettlement and sport-for-development. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86930-3_10
Comments
Jeanes, R., Magee, J., Penney, D., Spaaij, R., O’Connor, J., Ravi, A., & Truskewycz, H. (2025). Informal sport, refugee resettlement and sport-for-development. In R. Jeanes, J. Magee, D. Penney, R. Spaaij, J. O’Connor, A. Ravi, & H. Truskewycz (Eds.), Sport, development and peace: Critical global challenges (pp. 223-247). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86930-3_10