Pastoral discipline in FairPlayFootball: the order and guidance of time, space, bodies, and morality

Following increasing social inequality, participation in sport has been promoted as a way to combat social problems. FairPlayFootball (pseudonym) is being conducted in three so-called areas of exclusion in Sweden as a form of organized spontaneous sport, with ambitions to enable inclusion in sport and, broadly, to combat social problems. A form of indoor football, the activity, which takes place after school for schoolchildren, includes technique training moments, matches, and moral discussions. The aim of this article is to explore how the pedagogy and governing rationality are both formed and formative of the operation of FairPlayFootball. The study is based on ethnographic fieldwork, consisting of on-site observations and interviews with leaders and representatives, focusing on the exercise of pedagogy and power. The pedagogical and governing technologies and rationality is based on the establishment of a clear structure of time and space within the enclosed sports arena, where movements follow a predefined order and enable training in skills and conduct, and where movements within and between training spaces are guided by pastoral leaders, who aim to guide the development of the participating children. Based on these findings, the concept of 'pastoral discipline' is presented and discussed, situating the pedagogical strategies of guiding social change.