Social Capital Development via Sport for Migrant Women and Girls: Understanding “the Intersectional Stuff That Comes With Being a Woman From a Particular Cultural Background”

This article examines social capital development for migrant background women and girls via sports participation in Australia. The social networks of migrants can be disrupted by the migration experience. Sport is often touted as a site in which to rebuild and diversify local social connections and acquire associated social capital. However, culturally and racially minoritized women and girls from migrant backgrounds are often excluded from the sport sector in Western nations due to compounding factors such as racism, gender norms, and unequal caring roles. We interviewed 27 women and girls from migrant backgrounds who were involved in a range of sports. Using a constructivist research paradigm and an intersectional lens, our analysis refutes common deficit accounts for this population group. We argue that sport can be a site in which migrant women develop new social capital, albeit through multifarious and complex processes. We found prior bonding capital, coupled with linking capital, critical to support initial engagement with sport. Interactions between bonding and linking capital also created bridges to broader community members and opportunities. Where cultural diversity was represented in sports leadership, this facilitated the development and mobilization of bridging capital. Future sport policy and practice need to provide culturally appropriate sporting opportunities for women and girls from diverse backgrounds to enable equitable access to the potential benefits embedded in sport-related social networks.