“We want more diversity but…”: Resisting diversity in recreational sports clubs

Highlights

•	Resistance to diversity by those in positions of leadership is one reason why change has been slow in coming.
•	We identify six discursive practices that club leaders draw on to resist diversity.
•	Resistance emerges from a confluence of discourses that enable noncompliance.
•	Suggestions for future research, policy, and practice are provided.

Abstract

Participation in sport is highly valued by governments and policy makers. Policies and programs encourage participation of populations who are underrepresented in sport. In many countries sport participation is possible primarily under the auspices of voluntary sports clubs, many of which name demographic diversity as an organizational value. Underrepresented population groups continue to lag, however, in participating in sports clubs. Change has been slow in coming. Relatively little research focuses on resistance by those in positions of leadership to the entry or involvement of underrepresented or marginalized population groups into sports clubs. The purpose of this paper is to develop insight into why change may be so slow in coming even though demographic diversity is purportedly highly valued. Drawing on Raby’s (2005) conceptualizations of practices of resistance, on empirical research on diversity in recreational sports clubs and on work by Foucault, the authors identify six discursive practices that those in positions of leadership in sport clubs draw on to resist diversity: speech acts, moral boundary work, in-group essentialism, denial/silencing, self-victimization, and bodily inscription. The authors conclude that resistance to diversity in sport clubs has emerged from a confluence of discourses that enable noncompliance at the micro level with the use of a macro-level discourse of diversity.

Keywords:

• Community sport
• Discursive practices
• Diversity
• Leadership
• Resistance
• Sport organizations

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Australian Research Council in partnership with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), the Centre for Multicultural Youth and the Australian Football League (grant number LP130100366). The funders had no role in data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. We would like to thank chief investigators Karen Farquharson, Dean Lusher and Sean Gorman for their vital contributions to the study.

Notes

1 We acknowledge that diversity can be defined in other ways than demographics, for example as intersecting processes and practices (of masculinity, whiteness, ability, etc.).

2 Our focus is on lack of policy implementation based on social or demographic diversity. We recognize however, that the boundaries of constructed categories that define demographic diversity are fluid and that the experiences of those assigned to a specific category are heterogenous (see also Choo & Ferree, 2010).