Between modernization and mutual aid: The changing perceptions of voluntary sports clubs in England
Authors: Adams, A.
Journal: International Journal of Sport Policy
Volume: 3
Issue: 1
Pages: 23-43
eISSN: 1940-6959
ISSN: 1940-6940
DOI: 10.1080/19406940.2010.544663
Abstract:This article provides an exploration of the emergent tensions arising from the participation of mutual-aid orientated voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) within a modernized sport delivery system in England. The analysis identifies the tenets of the New Labour government's 'modernisation project', the meaning of modernization for VSC organization and operation and the extent to which opposing pressures are negotiated within VSCs. The analysis is informed by a range of public documents produced by government and by 28 semi-structured interviews with VSC members and senior key stakeholders. These interviews were conducted in one English county using a stratified sample to assess the extent to which the mutual aid/modernization dichotomy impacts on the role of the VSC as sport policy implementer. The conclusions indicate that modernization is altering the structure within which VSCs sit as well as shaping both external and internal expectations of those volunteering within VSCs. The article finally considers some of the ramifications of the dichotomy between VSC mutuality and modernized delivery, for both sport policymakers and practitioners alike. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.
Source: Scopus