Sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable youth: Towards well-defined interventions with easy-to-follow outcomes?

Reinhard Haudenhuyse, Marc Theeboom, Zeno Nols

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper, we critically examine the burgeoning scientific discourse about sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable youth from a socio-pedagogical perspective. It is argued that the call for more well-defined sports-based social interventions with easier-to-follow outcomes may be at odds with the open-ended philosophy that is viewed as a fundamental principle when engaging with socially vulnerable youth in a leisure context (Smith, 2003), and could potentially undermine the effectiveness and value of such practices for young people. We examine the question if supporting socially vulnerable young people will be best served through well-defined sports-based social interventions with easy-to-follow outcomes. We argue that if outcomes are to be formulated or analysed, such outcomes need to go beyond narrow conceptions of individual development, and need to be defined in consultation with young people. Adopting a socio-pedagogical perspective, we have proposed an alternative way to define (and evaluate) outcomes, in consultation with young people, in terms of biographical, institutional and political competences (Münchmeier, 1991). Furthermore, it is argued that there is an acute need for re-socialising sports research regarding sports-based interventions for socially vulnerable youth.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)471-484
JournalInternational Review for the Sociology of Sport
Volume48
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2012

Keywords

  • evaluation
  • research
  • social pedagogy
  • sports
  • vulnerable youth

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