Sport in Favelas: Perceptions of Managers on How to Promote Social Development

Citation

Rocha C, Williamson T, Bogus L & Paiva R (2025) Sport in Favelas: Perceptions of Managers on How to Promote Social Development. European Association for Sport Management Conference, Budapest, 02.09.2025-05.09.2025.1.

Abstract
Aim. The aim of the study was to explore and analyse perceptions of managers of sport organisations in favelas in Brazil on how such organisations can support social development of local residents. We worked in three stages. First, we identified, invited, and started conversations with managers of sport organisations in favelas. Second, we led two engagement workshops. Third, we engaged with some agents in the public sector to understand how the government has supported sporting activities in favelas. For this conference, we focused on the results from the engagement workshops with sport managers only. Theoretical Background. Barron et al. (2023) define social development as “a dynamic, transformative process that fundamentally changes how people live; […] the goal of which is to equip, link, and enable groups of people to create something new and different for the benefit of society” (p. xix). We draw upon Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory to propose that sport organisations can support social development not only at microsystem level (family, school, after school programmes, peers), but also at macrosystem level (cultural contexts based on geographic location, socioeconomic status, poverty, and ethnicity), which is particularly important in favelas. We have also relied upon previous research in sport management with community sport organisations (CSOs) (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2014; Doherty & Cuskelly, 2020; Sotiriadou & Wicker, 2013) because most of the organisations in favelas have similar non-profit characteristics of CSOs. Those studies have focused on exploring how effective management can provided better opportunities for people to participate in sport (Misener & Doherty, 2009), but they have not progressed to discuss social development. Research Design, Methodology, Data Analysis. We invited 28 sport managers of favela sport organisations to participate in two World Cafés in Sao Paulo (n=13) and Rio (n=15). The World Café method (Brown & Isaacs, 2005) has some stages. First, during welcome and introduction, all participants introduced themselves and their organisations. Then, in the small-group rounds, they were divided into tables (like in a café with friends). We proposed three small-group rounds, with specific questions/topics related to (1) how sport organisations have promoted social development in favelas, (2) how they have interacted with other institutions to attain this aim, and (3) challenges to promote social development. Table hosts were responsible for taking notes. In the harvest moment, everybody shared their insights and thoughts about the world café experience. Results and Discussion. Managers reported that sport programmes in favelas have promoted social development based on their focus on two main areas: support for physical and mental health of participants and support for local institutions (e.g. families and schools). Support for health has three pillars: tackling isolation in depression, preventing sedentarism and obesity, and supporting age, gender, racial, and disability inclusion. Support for local institutions also has three pillars: creating a route out of poverty, keeping young people out of the streets, and keeping young people away from crime. To act as social catalysts, sport managers reported challenges related to lack of suitable spaces for sport practice, lack of political power to use of public spaces, lack of public policy, family pressure for sport performance (kids need to become performance athletes), lack of follow-up programmes to monitor impacts of sport programmes, and the complex relationship between sport programmes, traffic dealers, and police. Additionally, they reported that there are intersections between their sport organisations and local institutions. With schools, for example, they act to reduce dropout rates and improving attendance and performance. Some previous studies have investigated public policies and sport (Fiori et al., 2001; Reis et al., 2013) with a focus on sport participation, but not with a focus on social development. Previous studies with CSOs in other contexts (e.g. Anderson-Butcher et al., 2014) have also focused on management to improve participation. Comparisons with previous studies will need to consider different contexts. Conclusion, Contribution, Implication. Results of the current study offer a new perspective of sport in communities, as we are focusing on sport as a means for social development, and not as an end (e.g., Reis et al., 2013). We contribute to advance the theory related to management of CSOs (e.g., Doherty & Cuskelly, 2020) by investigating communities deprived of resources, where sport organisations are not only sport providers, but a fundamental institution for social development. Practical implications are still to be fully developed, as this is a work in progress. This will happen after analysing interviews with stakeholders from the public sector. Practical implications are likely to include suggestions on how different sectors can work together to use sport as a catalyst for social development in favelas, for example, by discussing actions on how the communication between sectors, non-governmental and the public, can be improved to optimise the use public spaces and resources for sport in favelas.

Keywords
sport management, social impacts