Can sport build peace after conflict? Public attitudes in transitional Northern Ireland

David Mitchell; Ian  Somerville; Owen Hargie; Victoria Simms

doi:10.1177/0193723520958346

Can sport build peace after conflict? Public attitudes in transitional Northern Ireland

David Mitchell, Ian Somerville, Owen Hargie, Victoria Simms

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

The growth of the Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) movement has provoked considerable scholarly interrogation of the claimed social benefits of sport. However, little is known of public attitudes to the topic. This article reports research carried out in Northern Ireland regarding sport as a means of bringing divided communities together. Respondents viewed sport as effective in breaking down barriers, yet the demographic reach in terms of the participants in sports-based projects was shown to be limited. Qualitative research revealed diverse experiences of the impact of sport. The conclusion highlights the significance of a public attitudes perspective on SDP—it can reveal (a) the degree of public receptivity to SDP, (b) the participating constituencies, and (c) sociopolitical barriers to SDP and wider sporting inclusivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	464-483
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of Sport and Social Issues
Volume	45
Issue number	5
Early online date	11 Sept 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723520958346
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 1 Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The research was conducted as part a project titled, “Social Exclusion and Sport in Northern Ireland” funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (now the Executive Office), Equality Directorate Research Branch.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Northern Ireland
Sport for Development and Peace
conflict
peacebuilding
sport
Sociology and Political Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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KW - conflict

KW - peacebuilding

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ER -

Can sport build peace after conflict? Public attitudes in transitional Northern Ireland

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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