Speaker
Description
Persons with a migration background (PMM) are underrepresented in German sports clubs, hindering the integrative potential of organised sports activities. This phenomenon has been explained in past research mostly through individual factors such as socialisation or personal preference. This research project aims to investigate underrepresentation from a structural perspective, filling a research gap by postulating discrimination (operationalised via the concept of Group-Focused Enmity [GFE, Zick et al., 2008]) as a barrier that facilitates an exclusive climate in sports clubs.
To do so, the author conducts a quantitative survey, linking the extent of GFE in sports clubs to the extent of integration of PMM in such clubs. These findings are triangulated with qualitative research. PMM are addressed directly in qualitative interviews to learn about differences between their demands from sports clubs and the reality they experience in this setting. Thus, recommendations for action can be formulated to achieve positive social change in local communities by understanding the needs of the people in these communities.
