Development, Gender and Sport: Theorizing a Feminist Practice of the Capabilities Approach in Sport for Development

Abstract

Sport for development (SFD) research and practice has become more critically examined recently, with many scholars calling for better understanding of how and why sport might contribute to the global development movement. Developing and refining theoretical approaches is key to unpacking the complexities of SFD. Yet theory development in SFD is still relatively young, and often relies on over-simplified theory-of-change models. In this paper, we propose a new theoretical approach, drawing upon the Capabilities Approach (CA) and critical feminist perspectives. We contend that the CA is effective in challenging neo-liberal ideologies and examining a range of factors that influence people’s lived experiences. We have woven a “gender lens” across the CA framework, as feminist perspectives are often overlooked, subjugated or misunderstood. We also provide an adaptable diagrammatic model to support researchers and practitioners in applying this framework in the SFD context.