Deconstructing the roles and expectations of change agents using sport and recreation in a South African context

Abstract

Sport and recreation have the inherent power to bring communities together; to provide a sense of inclusion to people living on the fringes of society and to solve a myriad of social problems such as social inclusion. The current sport and recreation provision system focusing on social inclusion in marginalised communities in South Africa includes a variety of change agents with seemingly contradictory roles and expectations related to the goal of social inclusion. The discrepancy regarding the possible and actual benefits of sport and recreation participation necessitates the deconstruction of roles and expectations of change agents working towards social inclusion through the provision of sport and recreation opportunities. The overall aim of the study was to deconstruct the roles and expectations of change agents and marginalised community members in social inclusion through sport and recreation provision. Post-structuralism was utilised as a theoretical lens through which change agents’ roles and expectations were deconstructed in order to emphasise the role of discourse and power in social reality. The presumption that the social world can be accurately known, and truthfully and objectively represented, is questioned by post-structural theorists. Reality, knowledge and perceptions of the world are therefore perceived as discursive. Post-structuralism emphasises the role of discourse and power in the reproduction of knowledge, social reality and social regulation in society. Discourses informing the provision of sport and recreation opportunities as a vehicle for social inclusion in marginalised communities include the marginalised community discourse and the discourse promoting sport and recreation as solely beneficial. This study utilised a qualitative ethnographic approach to answer the research question: How does deconstructing the roles and expectations of change agents operating in marginalised communities facilitate social inclusion through sport and recreation? Based on abovementioned research question it was postulated that discrepancies exist between transparent and non-transparent expectations held, and roles played by change agents and marginalised communities in the provision of sport and recreation as social inclusion intervention; that discourses construct and maintain current practices in the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to improve social inclusion; and that notions of power are constructed in the relationship between change agents and marginalised communities within the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to social inclusion. Results of the study included the corroboration of two discourses that influence the roles and expectations of change agents providing sport and recreation opportunities related to the goal of social inclusion. The conclusion of the study emphasised that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained, which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The conclusion of the study confirmed that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The study concludes with recommending that social inclusion of marginalised communities should be addressed at a structural level in social policy, and that change agents involved in sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities be recognised as stakeholders. Implications for further study centre around the repositioning of sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities in South Africa; exploring monitoring of grants and funding of sport and recreation opportunities in marginalised communities in South Africa; the development of a toolkit to assist change agents in measurement and evaluation; and, the development of a toolkit to assist in information-sharing amongst change agents.

Key words: change agents; community; discourse; expectations; marginalised communities; post-structuralism; roles; social inclusion.