"I take him as my brother, a brother from another mother". : a qualitative study on how youth in a disadvantaged community in South Africa experience the social impact of sport.

• Main Authors: Jonsson, Caroline, Hägglund, Elin
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Högskolan i Gävle, Ämnesavdelningen för pedagogik 2009
• Subjects: organised sport; youth; social impact; disadvantaged community; group interview
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-4668

The impact of sport participation among youth is a widely discussed phenomenon. Researchers argue that sport participation can contribute to both positive and negative impact. The aim of this study is to find out how youth in a disadvantaged community in South Africa experience the social impact of sport. The data were collected through four group interviews with 24 youth (aged 16-20) who participated in three different teams; soccer, basketball and mountainbike. The result indicates that the respondents experienced an overall positive social impact from their sport participation. Six categories were identified as prominent in the result; acquire life skills, building friendship, emotional development, the importance of positive leadership, avoiding drugs and crime and support from the community.