What Is Happening in the Squares of China? Exploring the Experience of Participating in Square Sports and Sustainability Factors

Guoyi Li and Jungrae Lee ()
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Guoyi Li: Department of Physical Education, Shenyang Medical College, No. 146, Huanghe North Street, Shenyang 110034, China
Jungrae Lee: Department of Leisure and Sports, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, 2559, Gyeongsang-daero, Sangju-si 37224, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: This phenomenological study explored the experience of participation in square sports in China and the social mechanisms by which they can be sustained. Ten study participants were selected through a purposeful sampling method. The findings indicate that their physical and mental health were either maintained or improved as they engaged in square sports. They also experienced reduced feelings of loneliness and an increase in their sense of belonging through exchanges with other members of their teams. They enjoyed the freedom from cost and spatial restrictions in pursuing leisure activities. However, conflicts also arose with other groups, mainly related to securing space in the squares. Additionally, the study found that conflicts between participants and non-participants in square sports emerged as a social problem. The social mechanisms by which square sports can be sustained were identified as people-led voluntary participation, pride in square sports, and the reproduction of economic capital using human resources.

Keywords: square sports; China square; social mechanism influencing sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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