Alana Thomson

Intercommunity Sport Events: Vehicles and Catalysts for Social Capital in Divided Societies

Sport events are believed to promote dialogue, integration, and peaceful understanding among disparate groups, even when other forms of negotiation have not been successful. However, the social outcomes from sport events are largely anecdotal and there is a need to empirically examine the active engagement of groups with “others” in participatory sport event projects. This article investigates the potential of an intercommunity sport event in contributing to intergroup development and social capital building in the ethnically divided Sri Lanka. It follows an interpretive mode of inquiry where findings are derived from the analysis of 35 in-depth interviews with Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, and international event stakeholders. By providing evidence of the varying sociocultural experiences at the event, this article discusses the events impact on intergroup relations and its influence on the stock of social capital available to communities. Findings can assist governments, policy makers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in advancing policies and practical measures that build on events as vehicles and catalysts for enhanced intergroup relations and the creation of social capital.

Conceptualizing sport event legacy.

Address correspondence to Alana Thomson, Events, Leisure, Sport, Tourism and Arts Programs, Management Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 222, Lindfield NSW 2070, Australia. E-mail: alanakthomson@gmail.com Event Management, Vol. 17, pp. 111–122 1525-9951/13

Using transdisciplinary research to examine talent identification and development in sport

60.00 + .00 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/152599513X13668224082260 Copyright

Sport Event Legacies: Implications for Meaningful Legacy Outcomes

Abstract Effective sport talent identification and development (TID) programmes are integral to a nation’s success in international sport. Using a transdisciplinary approach that involved sport practitioners and researchers with diverse theoretical perspectives, we investigated TID factors in four Australian sports (Australian rules football, cricket, kayaking and tennis). A transdisciplinary approach allowed us to isolate and explore a range of factors critical to successful sport TID. This methodological article explores how this project moved TID research beyond its paradigmatic, quantitative, sport science lens and advanced knowledge and practice in TID from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The use of a transdisciplinary approach in future TID research is recommended.