Social work and social inclusion in sports-based programs
A qualitative study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21721704 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chiara Corvino (0000-0002-3909-7618, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, corresponding author), Chiara D’angelo (0000-0001-6309-0902, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Caterina Gozzoli (0000-0003-0200-8033, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1099-1117 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14680173231197933 |
| OpenAlex | W4386932192 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 46 |
Although the literature is rich in contributions analyzing the role of social workers in sports, there remains a lack of empirical research with respect to how these workers can be determinant in the development of inclusion outcomes in sports-driven interventions targeting socially vulnerable youth. The investigation analyzes the case of a sports-based program run by an Italian non-profit organization (NGO) from an ecological system perspective. Data from interviews and focus groups with youth involved in the program (21), parents (15), sport coaches (9), and the social workers of the NGO (15) were triangulated with the aim of exploring how social workers promoted inclusion through sport. Data were analyzed in a top–down thematic analysis. Findings Social workers promoted many social inclusion outcomes: (1) they linked sport clubs with the youth excluded from the sport system, thus sustaining access to sport; (2) they emotionally supported youth and their families in the program, fostering the relational dimension of social inclusion; (3) they formed alliances between the diverse systems of youth life, enhancing youth capacity to overcome their personal challenges in sports; and (4) they encouraged the integration of people coming from different socio-economic backgrounds within the sport context. Applications The case informs the practice of social workers in sport-driven interventions providing insights around the tasks they should achieve to promote social inclusion, including (1) recruitment of youth excluded from the sport system and linkage with sport clubs, (2) sport bureaucracy support, and (3) dialogue with diverse youth life systems
Focus group · Political science · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Psychology · Social Psychology · Sports injuries and prevention · Youth Development and Social Support · Social Work
A Systematic Review of Life Skill Development Through Sports Programs Serving Socially Vulnerable Youth
A grounded theory of positive youth development through sport based on results from a qualitative meta-study
Evaluating the relationship between physical education, sport and social inclusion
Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects
Social work in sport
Strengthening the empowerment approach in social work practice
Social Work and Youth Sport
Sport and Social Exclusion
Routledge Handbook of Sport for Development and Peace
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
The Effectiveness of Community Sports Provision on Social Inclusion and Public Health in Rural China
Examining the relationship between sports participation and youth developmental outcomes for socially vulnerable youth
Sport and Social Inclusion
Being Able to Play
Sport-for-Change
Sport for Vulnerable Youth
The Challenges of Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport
The Effects of a Leisure Education Programme on the Self Concepts and Life Effectiveness of At-Risk Youth in Taiwan
Beyond the Playing Field
Building social and cultural capital among young people in disadvantaged communities
Who's joining the club? Participation of socially vulnerable children and adolescents in club-organised sports
Sporting intervention and social change
The role of community sports coaches in creating optimal social conditions for life skill development and transferability – a salutogenic perspective
Does Sport Foster Social Capital? The Contribution of Sport to a Lifestyle of Community Participation
Sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable youth
Investigating Grassroots Sports' Engagement for Refugees
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |