Sport has been recognised as an important socialising agent given the large number of participants it attracts. Team sports bring together individuals from different backgrounds and thus can, potentially, smooth social and cultural barriers. Nevertheless, sport participation is not per se an effective instrument towards the goal of integration. In fact, team sports may reinforce existing ethnic/cultural identities; individuals may not seek to socialise with other `group` members but rather find shelter within a group of similar ethnic/cultural background, strengthening their own identity. Therefore, organised attempts to promote integration are required whereby sporting environments specifically designed to address the objective of integration are developed. The present symposium provides an overview of our ongoing research programme on team sports and acculturation. In the present talk we discuss a theoretical framework to examine the role of team sports in the acculturation process. Research on the role of sport as a social integration agent in multicultural societies has been scant. The adaptation of relevant theoretical frameworks to sport shall help the development of systematic research and enhance our understanding on the role of sport in the acculturation process. This presentation addresses the theoretical approach we have adopted in our research programme. Acculturation is a two-sided process, involving both the incoming population and their nondominant culture, and the host population and their dominant culture. The preferences but also the fit between attitudes and strategies adopted by these two parties determine the outcome of the acculturation process. The two-dimensional model of acculturation (Berry, 1997) describes the acculturation strategies of the ethno-cultural groups and the larger society. For both its versions (non-dominant/-dominant culture), the model is based on the interaction of individuals` desire to (a) preserve their cultural heritage and identity, and (b) interact and seek relationships with other groups. Buhris et al. (1997) extended this model by considering the fit between the goals of the two populations. The interactive acculturation model suggests that the interaction of these goals can lead to consensual, conflictual, or problematic acculturation. Based on the conceptualization of these models our currently ongoing research line sheds some light onto the role of team sports in the acculturation process of young migrants. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR
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