Placing sport at the heart of the university community: A critical reflection on sports club membership and what it means for student engagement from a Bourdieusian perspective
Authors: Moxey, M., Parry, K.D. and Brown, H.
Editors: Lowe, T.
Publisher: Routledge
Place of Publication: London
ISBN: 9781003271789
DOI: 10.4324/9781003271789-20
Abstract:Literature on university sport in the UK is scarce and its value is often overlooked in relation to its benefit on student engagement. Within student engagement discourse, much of the focus is on learning and teaching and engagement in the classroom. There is also a wealth of literature pointing towards the importance of students becoming socially integrated into the campus community for enhancing transition, belonging, and overall success. While the role of extracurricular activities in contributing towards this is increasingly being recognised, the significance of sport is missing from this discussion. For many, becoming a member of a university sports club is central to the student experience and becomes a dominant aspect of their identity during their time in higher education. Therefore, drawing on Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts such as habitus, capital, and field, this chapter looks critically at the social practices that make up university sports club culture, considering its value and what it means to be a member.
Source: Manual