Nationalism, populist politics and sport migrations: heroes or villains?

About the Project

Right-wing populist political voices, movements and values have been on the rise. Europe has been witnessing tendencies that are frequently associated with identity politics, ethno-nationalism, racism, sexism, anti-elitism and a general sense of ‘them vs. us’ attitude. In essence, political perspectives that work to polarise the public for the sake of gaining political power have been rampant.

Such states often abandon principles of liberal democracy and form illiberal political approaches, which questions the feasibility as well as legitimacy of contemporary nation building. Along with conservative political overtones, there is symbolic emphasis on preserving traditional values, national integrity and unity and resisting certain aspects of globalisation.

The movement of peoples (whether legal or illegal) across countries is one of those aspects of globalisation which is frequently resisted by conservative governments as, in some narratives, that challenges national unity and identity. Migration and the ‘threat’ migrants may or will pose to a country have been effectively used in a number of political rhetoric and have, arguably, contributed to the outcome of the Brexit referendum and the success of right wing political movements across the West.

Nevertheless, it appears that in certain domains migrants are not only accepted but celebrated as long as they bring kudos to their adopted country. One such domain is sport where there is a long history of seeking out and employing talented foreign players to boost the sporting profile of a nation.

Therefore, this proposal aims to explore the extent to which sport poses both a contradiction and an opportunity: contradiction as sport migrants, especially at elite level, seem to experience a different social reception to those who may find occupation in other areas of work, and opportunity as sport might be that well needed ‘Lingua Franca’ through which migrants can effectively connect with societies in which they wish to settle.

• Director of Studies: Prof. Győző Molnár, Adapted Physical Activity Research Unit, School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Worcester
• Supervisors: Dr S. Whigham, Oxford Brookes.