Speaker
Description
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and individuals are still consistently disadvantaged, under-represented, and discriminated against in sport (e.g., Shibli et al., 2021). The action research that we analyse in this paper, called Change Makers Melbourne’s West (CMMW), brings together local coalitions of sports club leaders, facilitators, researchers, and community partners. This study explores the co-creation of inclusive climates in sports clubs in Melbourne, Australia, and the ripple effects this process may stimulate. The CMMW project was conducted over a two-year period, consisting of four guided collaborative sessions with three cohorts of club leaders. Participants included four researchers, nine undergraduate and postgraduate students (so-called ‘facilitators’) and 67 club leaders from 37 community sports clubs across a range of sports. Multiple sources of data were collected and analysed, including audio recordings of the sessions, all artefacts produced in the sessions, a survey administered at the end of each cohort, interviews with club leaders, interviews and focus groups with facilitators, and field visit observations and reflections. Applying ripple effect mapping techniques, we discuss three sets of outcomes: instrumental (changes to policies, plans, decisions, behaviours, and practices); conceptual (i.e. changes to knowledge, awareness, attitudes, emotions); and capacity building (changes to skills and expertise). The findings also indicate some of the contextual and intervening conditions that influence these changes (or lack thereof). We reflect on the implications and limitations of the CMMW project aimed at promoting equitable social inclusion for CALD migrants in community sport.
Keywords: social inclusion, cultural diversity, social change; sport clubs
