Informal sport and leisure, urban space and social inequalities
Authors: Parry, K.D., Neal, S., Rishbeth, C., Pang, B. and Aytug, R.
Conference: Re-creating Leisure: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference 2023
Dates: 11-13 July 2023
Abstract:Organised sport is often celebrated for its health benefits and the social and economic benefits that it is claimed to have for cities and nations. However, there are also widespread and systemic issues, such as the racist abuse of players that serve as powerful, ongoing reminders that inclusion in sporting spaces is conditional (Parry, Cleland & Kavanagh, 2020). Therefore, generalised claims that sport can facilitate social integration or good settlement should be questioned (Spaaij, 2015).
Nevertheless, it has only been recently that international research on sport and diversity and inclusion has extended beyond formal organised activity such as is found at local sporting clubs or in professional sports to informal versions of sport. Now, this ‘poor relation of formal sport’ has become more popular than organised club sport (Hylton et al., 2015; Nichols & James, 2017). Thus, greater research on informal sport and to the material public and appropriated spaces in which it happens is important, not only because informal sport remains somewhat hidden (Aquino et al., 2021), but also because the social and physical need for public and common space has been so effectively highlighted by the experiences of living through Covid-19-caused upheavals (Neal et al., 2023).
This paper explores the meaning and implications of informal sport as a growing form of collective leisure activity and the wider social affordances - and strains - of collective leisure practices. We focus on the relationships between informal sport and leisure and access to often hard won public (parks, city squares, designed leisure spaces) and reused incidental urban space (e.g. post-industrial areas). We detail how informal sport and leisure involve marginalised and precarious urban populations, gives rise to co-ethnic and ethnically diverse identifications, secures senses of belonging and citizenship, is gender and age ex/inclusive and is attractive to policy actors.
Source: Manual