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Cross-cultural transfer of sports research from developing to developed world

This research examines the cross-cultural transfer of sports development from Zambia to the UK, exploring the notion of reciprocity and the potential for comparative research to inform effective sports programs. It discusses the challenges and opportunities in conducting comparative research and highlights the importance of contextual sensitivity and addressing power relations in implementing research findings to inform practice.

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Cross-cultural transfer of sports research from developing to developed world

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  1. Cross-cultural transfer of sports research from developing to developed world The case of Zambia and the UK Iain Lindsey April 2008 Tess Kay (Loughborough University) Ruth Jeanes (Loughborough University) Davies Banda (York St John University)

  2. Sport and International Development • ‘Notion of reciprocity’ in diverse motivations for international development assistance (Beacom, 2007, p88) • Expansion of sport-based programmes contributing to international development • Accompanied by evaluation and other research activity • Can comparative research contribute to the development of sports programmes?

  3. Comparative Research ‘an opportunity to avoid the policy mistakes of other countries and an opportunity to identify potentially successful policies which may be imported’ (Houlihan, 1997, p3) • Houlihan (1997) also recognises a number of problems in undertaking comparative research • Two interrelated issues appear particularly pertinent: • Similar or dissimilar cases? • Structure versus agency?

  4. Exploratory Research in Zambia • Two short, exploratory research visits undertaken by research team • Working with indigenous NGOs (Sport in Action & EduSport) as well as UK organisations (UK Sport & Wallace Group) • Research has examined sports development processes and outcomes • Identification of similar sports development issues – e.g. ‘joined-up’ provision, youth volunteering and achievement of wider social benefits

  5. ‘Joined-up’ Provision • Organisational context comprising of a variety of agencies and diversity of agendas • Ubiquity of ‘partnership’ obscures the diversity of motivations • How can the effectiveness of partnerships be improved? • Structures? • Agency?

  6. Youth Volunteering • Importance of youth volunteering raises comparative issues of purpose and process • Developing the individual or developing the provision? • Process issues: • recruitment & selection • training & support • pressures, motivations & progression

  7. Sport for Development • Sport used to change behaviours: developmental and diversionary effects “You play cricket and football and it helps you stay healthy, because people they go and become prostitutes but we are good and doing sport. Sport will help me have a good future because I am healthy.” “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” • Opportunities for learning about effective approaches • Cultural specificity of positive outcomes

  8. Discussion and Conclusions • Significant similarities in aspects of sports development • Opportunities for learning through comparative research as well as practical engagement • Importance of relationships between context, processes and outcomes • Presents challenges as well as opportunities for research

  9. Discussion and Conclusions • Comparative research needs to be contextually sensitive and avoid ethnocentrism (Houlihan, 1997) • Power relations need to be considered and addressed – a ‘partnership’ approach! • Using research appropriately to inform practice “It broadens our thinking, it broadens their thinking, the way we all look at things”

  10. Thanks … ... to colleagues who have undertaken the research, to the organisations who have supported it and to all the Zambian young people and deliverers for being so welcoming and willing to share their views

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