Community Based Research in Sport, Exercise and Health Science

Community-based research has recently gained attention within the sport and exercise sciences. When seeking to understand community based research methodologies, one finds a diversity of approaches spanning a breadth of ontological views and equally diverse methodological approaches. Though little is known about community-based sport, exercise and physical activity research, these foci are beginning to gain scholarly attention, in part through the emerging sport for development and peace literature. This book features a conceptual introduction and eight pioneering examples of community-based research from North American, European, and Oceanic scholars. The topic matter reveals scholarship undertaken in relation to health, physical activity, youth sport, and elite sport, exemplifying work with mainstream and marginalized populations. This book, perhaps the first compilation of community-based research relating to sport, exercise and health, will be of interest to sociologists of sport, sport and exercise psychology scholars, sport management scholars, qualitative researchers, health scholars and practitioners, sport for development organizations, and research ready communities seeking to engage in localized research projects.

This book was published as a special issue of Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.

Robert J. Schinke is the Canada Research Chair in Multicultural Sport and Physical Activity. Robert’s research spans community based participatory action research with indigenous and immigrant athlete populations and elite amateur and professional sport contexts. Robert’s research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. Robert is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Sport and Social Issues and Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, and an editorial board member for the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology., Kerry R. McGannon is a world renowned cultural sport psychology scholar, recognized for her innovative use of qualitative research methodologies and research with minority populations and diverse cultural identities. She has been on research teams, serving as the methodologist, in externally funded projects supported by the Coaching Association of Canada, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Kerry is also an editorial board member of Psychology of Sport and Exercise and serves on the advisory board of Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. She is also the Associate Editor for Athletic Insight., Brett Smith works in the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. His research interests include the psycho-social dimensions of disability and wellbeing, and narrative inquiry. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.