Is sport the ultimate key to social cohesion?

Dr. Louis Moustakas, Professor of Sport Management & Sport Sociology at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, has co-authored a book as part of a cross-university collaboration. The content critically examines the role of sport as a socio-political instrument with conceptual and empirical evidence.

Can sport really strengthen social cohesion? And what challenges will we face in the future? Existing social cohesion sport concepts often do not take into account the views of the people directly involved in them. The book Sport for Social Cohesion – Theoretical and Practical Perspectives provides new insights into when and how sport can be successfully used as a tool to strengthen social cohesion.

The book has been available since January 2025 and is aimed at students, researchers and professionals who want to use sport to promote social cohesion.

Editors Dr. Karen Petry, professor at the German Sport University Cologne, and Dr. Louis Moustakas, professor of sport management and sport sociology at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, have brought together the expertise of 22 international authors from over a dozen countries in a single book. In 15 chapters, they take a critical look at the role of sport as a socio-political instrument. The content provides different perspectives and presents both theoretical concepts and empirical findings.

WHAT WILL READERS DISCOVER?

A central element of the book is the results of the project Sport for Social Cohesion Lab (SSCL), which was carried out by the Institute for European Sport Development and Leisure Research (IESF). The project aimed to strengthen social cohesion in disadvantaged neighborhoods while critically questioning common definitions and concepts of sport.

The research project, led by Dr. Karen Petry and implemented with the collaboration of Dr. Louis Moustakas, has been collecting new data since December 2021. The insights gained from this data will help practitioners to design their programs in a more targeted way and achieve sustainable social impact. With the completion of the project in December 2023, robust results are now available and described in the book.

New approaches enable a better response to the perspectives, needs and expectations of practitioners and participants on the ground. In addition, methods are presented that provide professionals with the necessary skills and tools to design, evaluate and further develop their programs in a targeted manner.

In addition to theoretical foundations, the content reflects on how positive contact between different groups can be fostered and how communities can be involved in the design of sport-based initiatives. To illustrate these ideas, concrete examples from local initiatives in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Austria are presented.

INTERNATIONAL VALUE

Co-author Dr. Louis Moustakas sees a clear added value for the application in sociological management and in sports organization: Sport contributes to social cohesion, but only if the social and societal structures are aligned.

The involvement of experts from different countries enables a broad perspective on the topic. This not only brings together scientific findings, but also develops practical solutions for different social contexts.

Das Buch wurde von dem Verlag Routledge veröffentlicht und ist als gedruckte Ausgabe und als E-Book erhältlich.

Links:

Institute for Sport & Sustainable Development | FH Kufstein Tirol
Institute for European Sport Development and Leisure Research | Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln
Sport for Social Cohesion: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives | Onlineshop Routledge