www.coe.int

ISBN 978-92-871-6722-4

http://book.coe.intCouncil of Europe Publishing€30 /US$60

The Council of Europe has 47 member states, covering virtually the entire continent of Europe. It seeks to develop common democratic and legal principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Ever since it was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Council of Europe has symbolised reconciliation.

SPORTS POLICY AND PRACTICE SERIES

This work presents the main contributions and considerations of young European research workers and journalists on the question of discrimination in sport. Taking a multidisciplinary approach to the social sciences, the authors show how the media and those working in media can act as a relay, through their coverage of sports, for initiatives on the fi ght against discrimination. They also illustrate in detail not only the reality of discrimination in sport and the controversy surrounding this issue in the member states of the Council of Europe, but also the strength of research incipient in this fi eld.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) hopes to contribute in this way to the development of European research on education through sport involving researchers from different countries in order to better understand the phenomenon of discrimination.

William Gasparini is a professor at the University of Strasbourg where he directs a research laboratory specialising in social sciences in sport. He is the author of numerous works on sport in France and in Europe and is a member of the scientifi c and technical committee of the Agency for Education through Sport (APELS).

Clotilde Talleu obtained her PhD in social sciences of sport from the University of Strasbourg.

Foreword: interview with Lilian Thuram.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) is an agreement between a number of Council of Europe member states (33 as of 1 March 2010) which have decided to co-operate in the fi eld of sports policy. As an “enlarged” agreement, the EPAS is open to non-member states. It works in co-operation with relevant organisations, in particular with representatives of the sports movement.

Council of Europe Publishing

Sport a

nd

discrim

ina

tion

in Eu

rop

e

Sport and discrimination

in EuropeWilliam Gasparini and Clotilde Talleu

Sport and discriminationin EuropeThe perspectives of young Europeanresearch workers and journalists

Edited by

William Gasparini and Clotilde Talleu

Sports policy and practice series

Council of Europe Publishing

French edition:

Sport et discriminations en Europe – Regards croisés de jeunes chercheurset journalistes européens

ISBN 978-92-871-6721-7

The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the authors and do notnecessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced ortransmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic (CD-Rom, Internet, etc.) ormechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage orretrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the Public InformationDivision, Directorate of Communication (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or publishing@coe.int).

Layout and cover design: Documents and Publications Production Department(SPDP), Council of Europe

Council of Europe PublishingF-67075 Strasbourg Cedexhttp://book.coe.int

ISBN 978-92-871-6722-4© Council of Europe, September 2010Printed at the Council of Europe

3

Contents

PrefaceEducation to prevent racism – Interview with Lilian Thuram..................... 5

General introductionWhat do we mean when we speak of discrimination in sport?.............. 11

Chapter 1Sport and discrimination: the media perspective

Introduction ............................................................................... 21Sport and discrimination: the media perspective............................. 23

Chapter 2Sports activities and sexual discrimination

Introduction ............................................................................... 39Local sport policies and young residents of suburban neighbourhoods:a marked lack of interest among women and girls ........................... 43Gender in ice hockey: women in male territory .............................. 51Accessing PE and sports for girls with low educationalachievement .............................................................................. 57Reasons why girls refuse to take part in sport ................................. 65Conclusion ................................................................................ 73

Chapter 3Social deficiencies and difficulties: what sports facilities are needed?

Introduction ............................................................................... 77Sport in the welfare system. Sport courses for persons in receiptof the minimum income benefit: between supervision ofcompliance and support for negotiation relating to identity .............. 79Italian sports policies and disability: a synoptic analysis.................. 87Integration through sport of people with disabilities in Germany:impact and prospects for improvement .......................................... 95The inclusion of children with a disability in out-of-school sportsactivities – An assessment of the Finnish programme ..................... 103Conclusion .............................................................................. 111

4

Sport and discrimination in Europe

Chapter 4The “ethnic minorities” test for sport policies

Introduction ............................................................................. 115Single-community football clubs and Turkish immigrationinto France and Germany.......................................................... 119Multiculturalism and sport in Madrid – A means of integration ....... 127The involvement of young women of Arab-Muslim culturein university courses in physical education (PE) and sport.A comparative study of female students’ exercise habitsin France and Tunisia................................................................ 137Conclusion – The sport test for “social integration” ....................... 145

Overall conclusionThe social dimension of sports clubs: building networksof sports partners against discrimination .......................................... 151

5

Preface

Education to prevent racism –Interview with Lilian Thuram

An interview with Lilian Thuram (37), a former professional footballer whoplayed for France, including the World Cup-winning team of 1998, and isnow a member of that country’s High Council for Integration and Presidentof the Lilian Thuram Foundation – Education against Racism.

William Gasparini: People from a variety of cultures play football inFrance. Is it not paradoxical that, although football is a “mixed-racesport”, racism also occurs in the context of football?

Lilian Thuram: It is vital to realise that racism and discrimination in sportreflect the racism that exists in society. The more racism there is in society,the more will occur at football grounds. The racism that occurs is not there-fore specific either to sport or to football, and it is not sport which gives riseto racism. On the contrary, it is through sport that people come into contactwith one another and get to know each other, with the result that prejudicebecomes less marked. Thus, football is a fantastic means of integration.Clearly the situation is not the same in society, where people do not alwaysmeet others, and therefore retain their prejudices. Football does not solveall of society’s problems, but does bring people together and get positivemessages across to combat racism and encourage people to accept others.In fact, I am surprised that people feel that sport contributes to racism. Whilesport does involve rivalry, that rivalry is friendly. I think that there is less dis-crimination in sport than in society as a whole. Performance is what countsmost, not skin colour.

You played in several European countries (in Parma and Turin in Italy, andBarcelona in Spain, as well as in France). How did racism seem to you toaffect sport (especially football) in these three countries? Are there differ-ences, and, if so, what causes these?

Lilian Thuram: It is no easier for a foreigner in one country than in the others,for racism exists in all three. There are some differences, however, for socie-ties have developed differently in each. The approach to others, such as theapproach to black-skinned people in France, Italy and Spain, is different.Not all of these societies recognise others in the same way, because eachhas its own history. France, unlike Italy and Spain, came into contact withforeigners and black populations on its own soil at an early stage, as a