Bridging Communities Through Sport
A Social Work Study on Refugees Teaching Cricket to American Citizens
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33043/v854hsrt9zsKeywords:
refugee integration, cricket, psychosocial development, self-efficacy, sport social workAbstract
This qualitative study explores the psychosocial and communal impacts of a reciprocal integration initiative where refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia taught cricket to Americans in New York City, New York and Boise, Idaho (2022–2024). Grounded in Erikson's psychosocial theory and Bandura's self-efficacy framework, the study examines how sport fosters dignity, self-determination, and cross-cultural cohesion. This study recruited 15 refugee coaches and 30 American learners using qualitative methods through interviews, focus groups, and observations. Findings reveal refugee coaches gained self-worth and resolved Eriksonian conflicts, while 78% of American learners reported reduced stereotypes. Cricket fostered social capital, transforming public parks into inclusive "third spaces." Challenges included gender disparities and emotional labor. The study highlights cricket as a tool for integration, emphasizing trauma-informed, refugee-led programs. The study recommends municipal funding, credentialing refugee coaches, and embedding mental health support to enhance sport-based social work initiatives.
Downloads
References
Adair, D., & Rowe, K. (2010). Beyond boundaries? Race, ethnicity, and identity in sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 45(3), 251–257.
Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley.
Arellano, A., Halsall, T., Forneris, T., & Gaudet, C. (2018). Results of a utilization-focused evaluation of a Right To Play program for Indigenous youth. Evaluation and program planning, 66, 156-164.
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.
Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(1), 1–44.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. (2022). Report to Congress on proposed refugee admissions for fiscal year 2023. U.S. Department of State.
Clark, C., & Rabey, S. (2009). When kids hurt: Help for adults navigating the adolescent maze. Baker Books.
Coakley, J. (2011). Youth sports: What counts as “positive development?” Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 35(3), 306–324.
Coalter, F. (2007). A wider social role for sport: Who’s keeping the score? Routledge.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2017). Critical race theory: An introduction (3rd ed.). NYU Press.
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. Norton.
Fox-Sowell, J. (2023). THE IMPACT OF EXERCISE AND SPORTS ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING OF SYRIAN REFUGEE YOUTH.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
Gano-Overway, L. A. (2013). The caring climate: How sport environments can develop empathy in young people. In Organizing through empathy (pp. 166-183). Routledge.
Gutierrez, L. M. (1990). Working with women of color: An empowerment perspective. Social Work, 35(2), 149–153.
Harris, M., & Fallot, R. D. (2001). Envisioning a trauma-informed service system: A vital paradigm shift. New Directions for Mental Health Services, 2001(89), 3–22.
Hartmann, D., & Kwauk, C. (2011). Sport and development: An overview, critique, and reconstruction. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 35(3), 284–305.
Hirschman, C., & Massey, D. S. (2008). Places and peoples: The new American mosaic. In D. S. Massey (Ed.), New faces in new places: The changing geography of American immigration (pp. 1–21). Russell Sage Foundation.
Hoye, R., Nicholson, M., & Brown, K. (2020). Sport and social capital. Routledge.
Hughes, A. C., Orr, M. C., Ma, K., Costello, M. J., Waller, J., Provoost, P., ... & Qiao, H. (2021). Sampling biases shape our view of the natural world. Ecography, 44(9), 1259-1269.
Ife, J. (2016). Community development in an uncertain world: Vision, analysis, and practice. Cambridge University Press.
Kivnick, H. Q., & Wells, C. K. (2014). Untapped richness in Erik H. Erikson’s rootstock. The Gerontologist, 54(1), 40–50.
Lyras, A., & Welty Peachey, J. (2011). Integrating sport-for-development theory and praxis. Sport Management Review, 14(4), 311–326.
Majumdar, B. (2004). Cricket in colonial India, 1780–1947. Routledge.
Marlowe, J. M. (2010). Beyond the discourse of trauma: Shifting the focus on Sudanese refugees. Journal of Refugee Studies, 23(2), 183–198.
Miller, K. E., & Rasmussen, A. (2010). War exposure, daily stressors, and mental health in conflict and post-conflict settings: Bridging the divide between trauma-focused and psychosocial frameworks. Social Science & Medicine, 70(1), 7–16.
Moore, L. L., & Gummelt, G. (2018). Sport social work: Promoting the functioning and well-being of college and professional athletes. Springer.
Naderifar, M., Goli, H., & Ghaljaie, F. (2017). Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. Strides in Development of Medical Education, 14(3), e67670.
NASW. (2021). Code of ethics. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Oldenburg, R. (1989). The great good place: Cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. Marlowe & Company.
Phoenix, C., & Sparkes, A. C. (2009). Being Fred: Big stories, small stories and the accomplishment of a positive ageing identity. Qualitative Research, 9(2), 219–236.
Pope, E. M. (2020). From participants to co-researchers: Methodological alterations to a qualitative case study. The Qualitative Report, 25(10), 3749-3761.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster.
Ratna, A. (2010). ‘Taking the power back!’ The politics of British–Asian female football players. Young, 18(2), 117-132.
Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships, as developed in the client-centered framework. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A study of a science (Vol. 3, pp. 184–256). McGraw-Hill.
Schulenkorf, N. (2012). Sustainable community development through sport and events: A conceptual framework for sport-for-development projects. Sport Management Review, 15(1), 1–12.
Spaaij, R. (2011). Sport and social mobility: Crossing boundaries. Routledge.
Spaaij, R., Oxford, S., & Jeanes, R. (2016). Transforming communities through sport? Critical pedagogy and sport for development. Sport, education and society, 21(4), 570-587.
Sue, D. W., Alsaidi, S., Awad, M. N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C. Z., & Mendez, N. (2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 128–142.
Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.
UNHCR. (2023). Global trends: Forced displacement in 2022. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
Wagg, S. (2020). Cricket and nationalism in the postcolonial age: Following on. Routledge.
Walseth, K. (2008). Bridging and bonding social capital in sport—experiences of young women with an immigrant background. Sport, education and society, 13(1), 1-17.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nafees Alam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
