| dc.description.abstract | This master thesis was conducted through the Department of Physical Education at the
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.
The topic for the thesis is sport in an international development context, often referred to
as “Sport for Development and Peace” (SDP). An increasing number of projects aim to
use sport as a tool for improving, for instance, social, cultural and educational conditions
in marginalised or disadvantaged communities. However, in the literature, there are
limited empirical examinations that take the perspective of the recipients. Therefore, in
an attempt to understand how a SDP programme is experienced from the perspective of
local community members one particular SDP intervention in a South African community
is examined.
The study applies a qualitative research structure inspired by person-centred ethnography.
I combined participant observations, semi-structured interviews and document analyses
to explore this perspective. In doing this the study doesn’t ask if SDP works, but rather
how it works, and how it is experienced by community members who have participated
in the program and those who have not.
The empirical evidence was collected through a six week ethnographical field work
between October and December 2014. Document analyses were based solely on publicly
accessible documents and were conducted mainly during the field work. The
ethnographical field work with observations was conducted in a South African
community pseudonymously named Madala Town and six interviews with individuals,
and one group interview with three girls from the township were conducted.
This study demonstrated how local employment in the MCSC created trust within the
community, as well as bringing in inherent knowledge of which strategies would and
would not work. As an alternative to the use of Northern volunteers with sports
experience, yet limited understanding of the everyday living conditions and cultural
norms in the community, the findings presented here highlight the positive outcomes of
local, qualified employees. | nb_NO |
