EDDIE IZZARD

Getting people more
physically active is about
much more than just
market segmentation
and the targeting of
certain social groups
Coalter argued that the comparisons
made between the UK’s levels of participation
and those of Scandinavian countries
are spurious. He said we fail to understand
that the different socio-economic
structures and cultures of these countries
explain their high sports participation rates.
Drawing on the analyses made by
authors Richard Wilkinson and Kate
Pickett in their seminal The Spirit Level:
Why Equality is Better for Everyone, Coalter
argued that general inequality is the key
to understanding differences in sports
participation and their meaning.
Differences in the distribution of
wealth, income inequality, educational
access, social mobility and the differing
social and economic position of women
serve to explain different levels of sports
participation. Important to note too, that
the UK is lagging far beyond on most
measures of equality. Unequal societies
such as the UK are much less cohesive and
inclusive and because of the negative and
socially fragmenting socio-cultural and
socio-psychological effects of inequality
(such as status anxiety and stigmatisation).
Therefore, getting people into
sport is about much more than market
segmentation and the targeting of certain
social groups. Coalter concluded by
arguing that the factors influencing sports
participation may be well beyond the
control of sports policy.
CHANGING BEHAVIOURS
With this in mind, how can this context be
considered to help people change their
behaviour – can people still be helped to
change? From a theoretical point of view
the answer has to be yes, but there isn’t
one simple answer and it would require
tailoring of resources to reach the people
who need help the most. This of course,
from a population perspective, becomes
the issue for sports policy and practice.
Workshop areas addressed the different
populations covering young people,
university sport and wider communities.
‘Women and Girls’ is ever present as
an on-going research area given the
persistence of the sizable gender gap
in participation and also referred to in
Lisa O’Keefe’s keynote with 1.75 million
more men active than women. While this
topic can seem a little ‘tired’ for some, it
continues to be an essential area of focus.
University and college sport is also a
particular area of need for research in the
UK and this is timely, following the Active
University Projects and continued Sport
England funding into the university sector
with the Sport Activation Funding.
It was clear also that more work is
required on intervention design and
The different cultures of the
Scandinavian countries explain their
high sports participation rates
Julie Brunton (left), chair of ESDN and keynote speakers Fred Coalter and Lisa O’Keefe
evaluation in all populations when trying
to increase participation in sport.
The conference summarised thoughts
for future research and practice. Three key
areas that emerged throughout were:
1) The extent of inequality and what we
should do about this.
2) Behaviour Change – do practitioners
and policy makers really understand the
nature of this area to the extent that they
are able to effect change?
3) Should sport be focusing on the inactive
or issues around health and if both, how
can they work more effectively?
Details for the 2016 conference will
be announced in the new year, while
presentations from this year’s event can
be found at www.esdn2015.com
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2015 © Cybertrek 2015 71