These debates around sport, marginalisation and elitism are becoming
increasingly important I believe, due firstly to the growing presence of
'sport/leisure' in the commercial world, as has been pointed out, but also
due to its growing presence in the public sector and regeneration
world.
'Sport and leisure' appear more and more in publicly-funded initiatives
(through Lottery funding, City Challenge, SRB, etc), which is justified
through the view that sport/leisure are seen as fulfilling a number of
social functions, (not least it seems, the perceived need to 'keep kids
off the streets'). So we see public funding channelled into sports
centres and sports projects.
This is of course nothing new but what is interesting is the ways in
which these projects take on board and interpret discourses of social
exclusion. Some attempt to widen participation in elitist sports, and for
example, actively discourage investment in football for lads. The result
of course is that you often get under-used tennis courts and high-tech
gyms - as monuments to the top-down approach (let's provide what
people don't want).
Although I am not convinced by strategies which involve firstly building
facilities and then convincing people that they want to use them, having
said that, providing facilities with creches, discount prices and disabled
access may begin to change perceptions of such spaces and perhaps
this approach can begin to challenge male dominance and able-bodied
dominance of sporting facilities by moving away from the traditional
male sporting enclaves.
I have a bundle of third year exam scripts on this subject if anyone
is interested in some light reading...
Caitriona.
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