The social impact of community sports in disadvantaged neighbourhoods: a qualitative examination of the value of public familiarity

Abstract In this article, we argue for the use of the concept of ‘public familiarity’ in research on community development through community sports to broaden our perspective on its social effects. Public familiarity is defined as a feeling of ease in local spaces, enabled by the capacity to know what to expect and who and when to trust or distrust, developed by some level of acquaintance, however superficial and fluid. The aims of this pilot study are to explore the social meaning ascribed to being engaged in community sports by participants living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and to explore the value of using the concept of ‘public familiarity’ in understanding the social impact of community sports. The focus is on community sports groups in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in The Hague Southwest which are facilitated and funded by the local government and aimed at strengthening social cohesion. This exploratory pilot consists of four focus groups with community sport groups. Results show the importance of public familiarity for participants in three different ways; (i) public familiarity as requirement for participation in community sports, (ii) the value of public familiarity resulting from participation in community sports, and (iii) the benefits of public familiarity in the daily lives of participants of community sports.