Hannu Itkonen

‘Glocal’ processes in peripheral football countries: a figurational sociological comparison of Finland and Hungary

The aim of this article is to increase the understanding of the global and local contexts in football by finding out what social, cultural and economic dimensions seem to characterize ‘periphery’ football. This study applies figurational sociological perspective, which is applicable to the research on globalization processes and sport. The sources utilized are publications on the history and sociology of football as well as interviews with football practitioners. First, a theoretical framework of the global football figuration is advanced. Second, applying the constructed framework, the concept of periphery football country is discussed. It was found in accordance with previous research that instead of the rigid conceptualization of peripheral football, the various developmental patterns of countries should be studied. Third, the diverse development paths of Finnish and Hungarian football are analysed and compared. It is suggested that in spite of being peripheral, both countries have been increasingly integrated into the global football figuration.

Sponsorship in the Finnish sports culture

Abstract The theoretical assumptions explored with this paper are based on previous sociological studies concerning change in the field of sports. According to previous studies, international top-level sport is characterized by professionalism and a dissociation from the voluntary organizational field of sport. Top-level sports have become professional activities in internationally significant sports. In contrast to this, children’s and youth sports are still based on voluntary participation in Finland. The links between sports and economy have become even stronger since sport has become more professional, especially where sponsorship in toplevel sports has increased. However, sponsorship is not a new phenomenon, since economic support by businesses has always belonged to sport to some extent. The purpose of our article is to firstly clarify the position of sports sponsorship as a part of Finnish sponsorship as a whole. Secondly, we ask what are the goals and expectations of the businesses sponsoring sports. Thirdly, the aim is to find out what kind of risks sports sponsorship might involve. In order to find out the national features of sponsorship, on the one hand we take a look at the international change in sports publicity. On the other hand, we describe the context in which Finnish sports sponsorship takes place. Our research data consists of a questionnaire that we sent to 1,500 Finnish companies. This random sample included the 550 largest companies and 50 companies from every province of Finland. After the second and third surveys, we had 561 answers or 37% of the total sample. The main findings of our research are: 1. Two out of three Finnish companies practise sponsoring.2. Sports are clearly the most favoured targets of sponsorship.3. Among sports, team sports receive the most sponsor support.4. Companies seek mainly visibility through sponsorship.5. Doping and negative images attached to sports are viewed as the greatest threats to sports sponsorship.

Sport and civil society in the Nordic region

Abstract This paper examines the key elements within the relationships of sport and civil society in Scandinavia. The analysis combines themes and developments in Nordic sport and civil society, such as the role of the welfare state and the impacts of neoliberalism, with consideration of specific national experiences, especially in Finland. The discussion has four main parts. First, we set out the principal features of the ‘Nordic model’ of society, and how it shapes sport and civil society relations. Second, we advance a Finnish case study, examining the historical connections of three sectors to the national sport culture. Third, we consider how, in recent decades, the Nordic model has encountered and sought to respond to neoliberalism and globalization processes. Finally, we explore how Nordic societies have sought to influence globalization processes and ‘global civil society’ through sport, specifically through taking lead roles within the transnational ‘sport for development and peace’ sector.

The changing roles of public, civic and private sectors in Finnish sports culture

Finnish physical activity and how it is organised has changed over the last hundred years, and these changes can be seen in the civic, public and private sectors. The development of a civic sector for sport and physical activity has followed the larger changes in society and the organisation of other civic activities. At the end of the 1960s the Finnish public administration of sport started to expand. Specific attention was given to access to sport, which shifted the focus of the municipalities to consider the needs of all user groups. In the 1980s, the differentiation of Finnish sports culture began, a trend that could be seen in organisational and content changes. The amount and the type of the sports clubs increased and new sports were introduced. The private sports sector also began to grow. There is a constant revision of the relationship between the public, private and civic sectors. The challenge for these sectors is the polarisation of physical activity and how the population as whole can be motivated to active enough for their well-being and health.

A popular game in Father Christmas Land? Football in Finland

This essay is about the changing role of football in Finland. Our starting point is the view that Finland is not an internationally significant football country. Even so, Finland has been part of the international football organization for over a 100 years. Dividing the development of Finnish football into four historical periods, the essay analyses the relationships of Finnish football with the international football scene, and discusses the significance of Finnish football as part of Finland’s national sports culture. Measured by the number of players, football is the most popular sport in Finland today. With its player streams and fan cultures, Finnish football has also become an integral part of the globalized football culture.

Global and local interactions in football: the changing field of professional football stadiums in Finland and Hungary in the 2000s

Abstract This article aims to increase understanding of the global-local contexts in football by exploring the changing field of professional football stadiums in Finland and Hungary in the 2000s. More specifically, the cases of two clubs, HJK (Finland) and Ferencvárosi TC (Hungary) are studied. We employ concepts of sport and globalization. The research data consist of semi-structured expert interviews with Finnish and Hungarian football practitioners, media and club documents, and data from observation. The results suggest that interactions of global and local forces are reflected in the development and operation of stadiums. On the one hand, international and national governing bodies have strengthened their control over the different aspects of stadiums, indicating increasing standardization. On the other hand, due to distinct local histories and conditions, the development and management of stadiums have shown dissimilar trajectories, as demonstrated in the Finnish and Hungarian contexts, therefore highlighting both homogenization and heterogenization processes.

Associations of subjective social status with accelerometer-based physical activity and sedentary time among adolescents

ABSTRACT This study examined the associations of subjective social status (SSS) with physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) among adolescents. The study population consisted of 420 Finnish adolescents aged 13 to 14 years. The adolescents reported their own SSS within their school (school SSS) and their family’s social position within society (society SSS) based on the youth version of the Subjective Social Status Scale. Adolescents’ moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and ST were measured objectively by accelerometers and analyzed separately for the whole day and the school day. The associations between SSS and MVPA and ST outcomes were analyzed using multilevel modeling. School SSS was positively associated with whole-day MVPA and negatively associated with school-time ST. Society SSS was not significantly associated with objectively measured MVPA or ST. Both MVPA and ST are important behavioral determinants of health. As an important correlate of MVPA and ST, school SSS should be addressed by providers when discussing obesity risk and healthy behaviors with adolescents.

Young athletes’ significant experiences in sport: critical sociological reflections on athlete development

Abstract The aim of this article is to provide a sociological perspective on athlete development by using the theoretical framework of socialization and life course. Significant experiences are used as an interpretational tool to study young athletes’ perceptions of their socialization process. The research data, which were collected at a sports upper secondary school, consist of life historical interviews with 26 young athletes aged 14–17 years. Through content analysis, their significant experiences in sports were divided into four categories and then analyzed further in relation to the Habermasian dualistic reality of the lifeworld and the system. The results were the following. First, normative-institutional experiences were related to the rationalized sports system. They standardize the socialization process as, for example, specialization and progress in the ability-based groups of talent development systems. Second, personal development experiences were related to skills learning and personal recognition, forming lifestyles and overcoming adversities. They emphasize the lifeworld dimension in socialization. Third, social capital experiences were built through family, friends, and coaches, and were utilized as resources in competitive sports. Fourth, unexpected life events consisted of injuries, illnesses, and various social life events, such as the death of a family member. In conclusion, the interpretational perspective of the study expanded the systemic approach to athlete development towards a lifeworld approach to socializing young athletes.

Sport Clubs in Finland

This chapter introduces the current state of the Finnish sport clubs. The article aims to highlight firstly, how sport and physical culture in Finland are historically based on the civil society and volunteer activities; secondly what are the characteristics of sport clubs in Finland; and finally what kind of challenges sport clubs are facing at the moment and in the future.