LIKA FÖRUTSÄTTNINGAR PÅ PLAN? En intersektionell analys av ungdomsfotbollen som gräsrotsrörelse

Sammanfattning: The sports movement in Sweden has for a long time been a key factor in health prevention and social work at a grassroots level. Through youth sports, school and at home children and teenagers have been introduced to the values and rules of society. With our study we aimed to make an intersectional analysis to see which values exist in the youth sports movement and how these values affect the young athletes and their possibilities to participate in the movement on equal terms. We also wanted to see if there has been a development in the conditions through the years. Our study was conducted through qualitative interviews with eight leaders within the youth sports movement to evaluate how they describe existing norms and values within the movement. In our analysis of the results we applied Berger Luckmann’s theories of social constructionism and intersectional theories to illustrate norms and power structures within the movement. Given the fact that the entire youth sports movement is a large field we narrowed it down to the field of youth football. We found that since our own days as young athletes there are signs of change within the youth sports movement in Sweden and there seems to be a greater awareness within the movement regarding values and structures based on norms and preconceptions. The clubs are actively working with values and breaking structures based on for example gender roles. There is however a long way to go and the clubs have faced challenges. To be able to keep the good work going and not slow down the progress we see a need for the publicly funded organisations to use the preexisting knowledge within the grassroot movement of youth sports to a greater extent and give the people that are already helping young athletes a better platform to lead and continue the work that is currently being done.