Search

ABSTRACT This review examines the distinct treatment of millions of displaced Ukrainians amidst the ongoing conflict, compared to previous refugee groups in Europe, presenting a synthesis of research encompassing traditional and grey literature. Evaluating resettlement processes, the analysis underscores the unique factors shaping Ukrainian refugees' reception, shedding light on disparities compared to other refugee groups. Cultural perceptions, vulnerability, demographics and the framing of Russia as a common adversary influence responses from individuals, organizations and nations in unprecedented ways in Western societies. The discussion critically dissects these findings, proposing the concept of ‘promising victimhood’ for a nuanced understanding of differential treatment, while urging further theoretical development. This concise systematic review serves as a crucial benchmark for both academics and policymakers, emphasizing the need to address systemic injustices in refugee reception across various levels and sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war in Ukraine has forced approximately eight million people into neighboring European countries. As part of sports clubs' societal commitment, many have received Ukrainian refugees. However, compared to previous so-called 'refugee waves', forced migration from Ukraine is different in terms of demographics, culture, and (sports) traditions. This paper aimed to assess these 'new' nuances and their implications for the European sports movement. Data were gathered through 17 semi-structured interviews with Swedish sports club representatives, analyzed with a critical realist-inspired thematic analysis, and interpreted with Bronfenbrenner's process-person-context-time framework. The representatives expressed that Ukrainian refugees are more in-tune with organized sports compared to other refugee populations; however, there are also culturally discrepant ideas about sports. Specifically, there seems to be an influx of skilled (youth) refugees, who approach sports in ways incompatible with Swedish conventions about youth sports. While the sporting capital often enables easier inclusion, it also presents challenges in extreme cases. The findings show that the European sports movement must be attentive to new challenges and opportunities associated with the current humanitarian crisis. Sports representatives need to balance culturally sensitive approaches with ethical considerations regarding youth sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, it has been suggested that critical realism offers a potential lens to understand sport and social change. This paper utilizes a case study with a Swedish martial arts club, renowned for its social inclusion culture and undertaking of a refugee initiative. I analyze this material according to Archer's (1995) morphogenetic approach. The results show that several issues prevent the refugees' social inclusion. According to the morphogenetic approach, these issues are due to structural- and cultural conditions, which partially set the stage for how the club responds to diversity. In contemplating incidents that hamper the initiative, informants deliberated how refugees fail to adopt specific ways of training and behaving. The narratives reflect the broader Swedish political climate concerning migrants' adaptation, where assimilation, rather than integration, is preferred. Thus, the paper contributes towards the (critical) realist-understanding of sport and social inclusion and offers insights into generative mechanisms that underpin exclusionary practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is, again, witnessing a humanitarian 'crisis', as over seven million Ukrainian refugees have fled the border at the time of writing. Culturally sensitive practices are keys in leveraging sport for migrants. Yet, this research has not explored what cultural sensitivity is, regarding Central- and Eastern European (CEE) migrants. This paper assessed culturally contingent components when considering CEE migrants inclusion into European sport. The Delphi method was deployed, and three rounds of data collection were conducted. 19 CEE experts in sport (researchers, NGOs, governmental employees) were recruited to jointly produce a set of consensual directives. The results were analysed with Bronfenbrenner's Process-Person-Context-Time model. The key agreements consisted of four significant themes. Facilitators included shared experiences of (organised) sport, and CEE migrants' familiarity with other cultures. Barriers included the nature of labour migration on time- and economy to engage in leisure, and stereotypical and misleading perceptions of 'post-soviet residents'. In conclusion, the results show that a range of similarities may exist between CEE and European (sport) contexts that could be conducive to CEE migrants' inclusion into European sport, but that practitioners will need to be aware of sensitive Soviet history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results surrounding the socio-psychological contribution of the martial arts are contested. One analytical distinction that has been made is that traditional, as opposed to modern martial arts, are more well-suited to such ends. Yet, this distinction is not always made, rendering shallow the analytical depth of this topic. Brazilian jiujitsu (BJJ) is an emerging martial art that has been highly touted as a social and psychological form of therapy. However, this claim derives from anecdotal reports and narratives. BJJ's potentially therapeutic properties have been understudied because of the sport's recent emergence. It has not been systematically assessed to date. Considering BJJ's late emergence and direct connection to other modern martial arts, it is unclear whether BJJ is considered a modern- or traditional martial art; something that has implications for a martial art's potential to contribute towards developmental outcomes. This systematic review identified 12 articles of BJJ's potential social- and psychological properties. In summary, the research on BJJ is focused on two salient themes: the psychosocial outcomes and the social meanings of BJJ. The former tended to focus on the relationship with aggression, with little theoretical consideration for how BJJ functioned as an agent of social change. However, the latter offered a glimpse into such mechanisms through sociological inquiries that effectively highlighted how BJJ entails developing resilience. While the literature uniformly indicated that BJJ holds promise as a form of therapy, research also points to BJJ's complex social nature. This characteristic entailed social rituals that BJJpractitioners go through, which are socially- and morally debatable. The review thus suggests further theoretical considerations to the emerging field of BJJ research. In summary, BJJ training may be an appropriate public health intervention considering its social climate and emphasis on developing resilience and its mitigating effect on aggression. However, more research is needed to explore unhealthy traditions that seem to exist in BJJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]