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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