Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

Managing sport for public health: approaching contemporary problems with traditional solutions

In the area of public health, civil society involvement in attaining government objectives on physical activity participation is often carried out by voluntary sport organizations (Agergaard and Michelsen la Cour, 2012; Österlind and Wright, 2014; Skille, 2009; Theeboom, Haudenhuyse and De Knop, 2010). In Sweden, this responsibility has been given to the Swedish Sport Confederation (SSC), a voluntary and membership-based non-profit organization, granted government authority to govern Swedish sport towards government objectives (Bergsgard and Norberg, 2010; Bolling, 2005). Research has pointed to difficulties for sport organizations to shoulder such responsibilities due to the deeply rooted logic of competition in sport and organizational structures adapted for competitive sport (Skille, 2011; Stenling and Fahlén, 2009). This article focuses on how public health is being constructed, implemented and given meaning within the SSC. Drawing on a critical discourse approach (Fairclough and Fairclough, 2012) this study explores the SSC's role and position in public health promotion by interviewing SSC representatives and National Sport Organizations' (NSO) general managers. Results indicate how discourses on democracy, equality and physical activity are used to legitimize the SSC's role in public health. Also, how these discourses are compromised in practice, posing challenges for organized sport in meeting objectives of public health.

ISSN
2183-2803
Extent
Seite(n): 108-117
Language
Englisch
Notes
Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

Bibliographic citation
Social Inclusion, 3(3)

Subject
Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie
Freizeitforschung, Freizeitsoziologie
Erhebungstechniken und Analysetechniken der Sozialwissenschaften
Demokratie
Sport
Diskursanalyse
Argumentation
Analyse

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Aggestål, Anna
Fahlén, Josef
Event
Veröffentlichung
(when)
2015

DOI
Last update
21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST

Data provider

This object is provided by:
GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Zeitschriftenartikel

Associated

  • Aggestål, Anna
  • Fahlén, Josef

Time of origin

  • 2015

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