Everyday racism in Australian community sport

This article examines the types of racism experienced in community sport in Australia. Drawing on interviews with 51 community sport stakeholders, including 26 individuals with lived experiences of racism in sport, the article shows how Australian community sport maintains white dominance through everyday racisms including: the use of racial norms and stereotypes that shape how Indigenous peoples and racialised settlers are treated; favouritism and racial exclusion; and a consistent lack of action against racism. The types of racism work together in a self-sustaining system that makes them challenging to tackle, supporting the maintenance of white dominance in Australian community sport. This article addresses a significant gap in the literature by detailing the types, extent and nuances of everyday racisms in Australian community sport, particularly those that operate beyond the more visible and overt forms of interpersonal racism.

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Publication Details

Journal
International Review for the Sociology of Sport
Published
2026-06-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902261457980
Primary Topic
Sports, Gender, and Society
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Everyday racism in Australian community sport

Ramón Spaaij, Karen Farquharson, Franka Vaughan, Ruth Jeanes
International Review for the Sociology of Sport
Sports, Gender, and Society
article

Everyday racism in Australian community sport

Ramón Spaaij, Karen Farquharson, Franka Vaughan, Ruth Jeanes
article en

Abstract

This article examines the types of racism experienced in community sport in Australia. Drawing on interviews with 51 community sport stakeholders, including 26 individuals with lived experiences of racism in sport, the article shows how Australian community sport maintains white dominance through everyday racisms including: the use of racial norms and stereotypes that shape how Indigenous peoples and racialised settlers are treated; favouritism and racial exclusion; and a consistent lack of action against racism. The types of racism work together in a self-sustaining system that makes them challenging to tackle, supporting the maintenance of white dominance in Australian community sport. This article addresses a significant gap in the literature by detailing the types, extent and nuances of everyday racisms in Australian community sport, particularly those that operate beyond the more visible and overt forms of interpersonal racism.

International Review for the Sociology of Sport
The University of Melbourne (AU), Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (AU), Monash University (AU), Victoria University (AU), University of Amsterdam (NL)
VicHealth
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Sports, Gender, and Society
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