The changing meaning of sport during forced immigrant youths' acculturative journeys

Thierry R.F. Middleton*, Robert J. Schinke, Bahaa Habra, Deborah Lefebvre, Diana Coholic, Kerry McGannon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objectives: To facilitate intercultural understanding by centralizing forced immigrant youths' voices in the knowledge development phase of a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) project. The aim of this paper is to reveal the role of sport in forced immigrant youths' acculturative journeys in different communities. 

Methodology: We utilized ‘get-to-know-you’ arts-based conversational interviews (m time = 38 min) held at the onset of a community-based participatory action research project. A polyphonic (i.e., multi-voiced) vignette is used to portray an interpretive account of the stories told by 22 refugee and asylum seeking (i.e., forced immigrant) youth (m age – 13.4 years) developed through a reflexive thematic analysis. 

Results: The three-scene polyphonic vignette stories the role sport has played, and continues to play, in forced immigrant youths' life journeys. The opening scene brings to light stories related to home country sport involvement. The second scene depicts how sport was engaged in during their journey to their current host community. The third scene completes the story focusing on how youth engage in sport during resettlement in their host Canadian community. 

Conclusions: The meaning of sport, and what it means to be safe in sport, changes over the course of forced immigrant youths' acculturative journeys. Feeling safe in sport offers a unique opportunity for youth to feel a sense of sharing their acculturative journey with those around them.

Original languageEnglish
Article number101917
Number of pages9
JournalPsychology of Sport and Exercise
Volume54
Early online date20 Feb 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Keywords

  • Acculturation
  • Creative non-fiction
  • Forced migrants
  • Polyphonic vignettes
  • Sport

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