Social Integration of People With a Migration Background in European Sports Clubs

Policy makers often ascribe sports clubs an important societal role, as they can encourage the integration of people with amigration background. Questions then arise as to the extent that members with a migration background are integrated in sportsclubs and what the factors are that play a role in this integration. The data for this research are drawn from a comparative study of 10 European countries. The analyses take a multidimensional approach to social integration and differentiate between thedimensions of understanding/acceptance, interaction, and identification. The results show that members with a migrationbackground are relatively well integrated, but less so than other club members. There is a positive association between socialintegration and the volunteering, participation in competitions, long-term membership, and sports activities in teams.