Beyond the Playing Field: Experiences of Sport, Social Capital and Integration among Somalis in Aust

Title: Beyond the Playing Field: Experiences of Sport, Social Capital and Integration among Somalis in Australia

Type: Academic Research

Location: Australia

Name of Responsible Persons: Ramón Spaaij

Source: Victoria University

Date: Unknown

This paper explores the role of recreational sport as a means and marker of social integration by analyzing the lived experiences of Somali people from refugee backgrounds with sport. Drawing on a three-year multi-sided ethnography, the paper examines the extent to and ways in which participation in sport contributes to Somali Australians' bonding, bridging, and linking social capital.

It is shown how social bonds and bridges developed in the sports context assist in the (re)building of community networks that have been eroded by war and displacement.

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