SDP and social exclusion

Abstract

This chapter examines the ways in which Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) initiatives seek to address social exclusion. It focuses explicitly on SDP within the global South, drawing on an empirical case study of a sport and gender empowerment program delivered in Lusaka, Zambia. The chapter initially considers how social exclusion can be theoretically and conceptually underpinned within global South contexts before outlining the specific ways sport is believed to contribute to addressing social exclusion. The case study outlines the ways in which a gender empowerment program sought to use sport to address key mechanisms responsible for excluding young women within Zambian society. The chapter presents a critical analysis of both the benefits and limitations of using sport in this context. It concludes by discussing potential ways to reconceptualise SDP that could maximise its capacity to tackle social exclusion within highly impoverished communities.