A qualitative study of the impact of the London 2012 Olympics on families in the East Midlands of England

Lessons for sports development policy and practice

Bibliographic Data

ID12572952
AuthorsChris Mackintosh (0000-0001-9166-589X), Natalie Darko (0000-0002-6384-9269, Nottingham Trent University), Zoe Rutherford (0000-0002-0499-1134, Leeds Beckett University), Hetty-May Wilkins (Nottingham Trent University)
Year2014
Volume20
Issue8
Pages1065-1087
Publication date2014-02-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSport Education and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1357-3322 • E-ISSN: 1470-1243
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13573322.2014.881337
OpenAlexW1969465363
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited55

The dynamics and culture of families are central to individual and community sport and physical activity participation. This research project examined the lived experiences and day-to-day realities of the London 2012 Olympics from the perspectives of five families in the East Midlands region of England. The aims of the project were to assess the influence the Games had on shaping family sports participation, influencing social and health relationships within the families through sports and reactions to the 2012 Olympics. The study was conducted through the generation of rich qualitative data from pre- and post-Games interviews as well as production of video diary data by the families and young people themselves to gather micro-level information on the realities of ‘legacy’ for families. Findings from this research project illustrate that prior parental socialisation into sport shaped current attitudes to legacy and children and mothers and fathers had mixed reactions to the actual presence of legacy. There are also clear sports development challenges around accessibility, cost, project design, the non-family-friendly nature of some schemes present during the potential consumption of legacy that have consequences for future research in this embryonic area. Implications from the study include the need to locate the family as a more central concern for policy makers in sports development practice. The study has questioned the assumed virtuous legacy of the London 2012 Games from the perspective of families on a day-to-day micro-level. Instead, a far more complex and diverse picture from the perspective of the family has been presented that requires further critical research on this little explored topic of policy and practice in sports development

Consumption (sociology · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society