Research • FEPSAC

The 2007-2015 FEPSAC Research Project

Sport as an Integrative Tool in Multi-Cultural Societies: An Ethnic-Cultural Identity Approach

Sport participation, and in particular organized sports, is an important socializing agent because of the large number of participants that are attracted (Bailey, 2005). As such, sports may be a viable vehicle for smoothing social and cultural barriers because they bring together individuals from different backgrounds. Given the multicultural character of contemporary societies, sport may have a significant integrative role for the promotion of social and cultural interaction. Nevertheless, sport participation is not by itself an effective means towards the goal of social integration. Sport can also be a source reinforcing existing differences, as individuals may seek not to socialize with other ‘group’ members, finding shelter in groups of similar ethnic/cultural background, and strengthening their identity (Krouwel, Boonstra, Duyvendak, & Veldboer, 2006). Despite its intuitive appeal, the integrative potential of sport has remained unexplored.

The project includes five European countries (Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, and the UK) and examines whether sport participation has a social role in shaping ethnic and cultural identity in young athletes across Europe. Furthermore, it aims at identifying sport factors that may help enhance integration in multicultural societies (e.g. coaching behavior, group cohesion, motivational climate).

Project Team

Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis (University of Thessaly, Greece)

Xavier Sanchez (University of Groningen, Netherlands)

Francis Ries (University of Seville, Spain)

Olga Kouli (Democritus University of Thrace, Greece)

Anne-Marie Elbe (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

Sakis Pappous (University of Kent, UK)

Conference publications

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.-M., Sanchez, X., Ries, F., Pappous, A., & Kouli, O. (2011). Ethnic and cultural identity: concepts and measurement. In S. Serpa, N. Teixeira, M.J. Almeida & A. Rosado (Eds.). Sport and Exercise Psychology: Human Performance, Well-being and Health. Proceedings of the 13th FEPSAC Congress of Sport Psychology (p.113). Institute of Sport of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Elbe, A.-M., Sanchez, X., Ries, F., Kouli, O., & Hatzigeorgiadis, A. (2011).Ethnic and cultural identity in young athletes across Europe: Individual differences. In S. Serpa, N. Teixeira, M.J. Almeida & A. Rosado (Eds.). Sport and Exercise Psychology: Human Performance, Well-being and Health. Proceedings of the 13th FEPSAC Congress of Sport Psychology (p.114). Institute of Sport of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Kouli, O., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.-M., Ries, F., Fernandez Gavira, J., & Sanchez, X.(2011). Motivational correlates of ethnic and cultural identity in the sport context. In S. Serpa, N. Teixeira, M.J. Almeida & A. Rosado (Eds.). Sport and Exercise Psychology: Human Performance, Well-being and Health. Proceedings of the 13th FEPSAC Congress of Sport Psychology (p.114). Institute of Sport of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Ries, F., Pappous, A., Fernandez Gavira, J., Sanchez, X., Elbe, A.-M., & Hatzigeorgiadis, A.(2011). Implications and development of interventions to promote ethnic-cultural integration through sport. In S. Serpa, N. Teixeira, M.J. Almeida & A. Rosado (Eds.). Sport and Exercise Psychology: Human Performance, Well-being and Health. Proceedings of the 13th FEPSAC Congress of Sport Psychology (p.115). Institute of Sport of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.M., Sanchez, X., Ries, F., Kouli, O., Fernandez-Gavira, J., TrierHauge, M.L., & Strahler, K. (2010). Ethnic and Cultural Identity in young athletes across Europe: Multicultural Analysis of the Ethnic – Cultural Identity Questionnaire.Proceedings, International Conference of Sport Psychology & 6th Workshop European Network of young Specialists in Sport Psychology, (p. 34), Trikala, Greece.

Sanchez, X., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.M., & Ries, F. (2010). Can sport contribute to the promotion of social integration in contemporary multivultural societies? Proceedings, 2010 Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (p. 85). London, UK.

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.M., Sanchez, X. Kouli, O., Ries, F., Fernández-Gavira, J., Trier Hauge, M.L., & Strahler, K. (2010). Ethnic/cultural identity in young athletes across Europe: Preliminary descriptive evidence. Proceedings, 2010 Annual conference of the British Asociation of Sport and Exercise Sciences, (S124-S125), Glasgow, UK.

Symposium at the FEPSAC Congress 2011 in Madeira

The 2007-2011 FEPSAC research project was “Sport as an integrative tool in multicultural societies: An ethnic-cultural identity approach” (Presentation 1)

Chair: Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis

Ethnic and cultural identity: Concepts and measurement (Presentation 2)
Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A-M., Sanchez, X., Ries, F., Pappous, A. & Kouli, O.

Ethnic and cultural identity in young athletes across Europe: Individual differences (Presentation 3)
Elbe, A-M., Sanchez, X., Ries, F., Kouli, O. & Hatzigeorgiadis, A.

Motivational correlates of ethnic and cultural identity in the sport context (Presentation 4)
Kouli, O., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A-M., Ries, F., Fernandez Gavira, J. & Sanchez, X.

Implications and development of interventions to promote ethnic-cultural integration through sport (Presentation 5 & Presentation 6)
Ries, F., Pappous, A., Fernandez Gavira, J., Sanchez, X., Elbe, A-M. & Hatzigeorgiadis, A.

Symposium at the FEPSAC Congress 2015 in Bern

Perspectives on acculturation through physical activity
Chair: Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis (University of Thessaly, Greece)
Discussant: Xavier Sanchez (University of Cumbria, UK)