Switzerland: Autonomous Sports Clubs as Contributors to Public Welfare

Siegfried Nagel (), Pascal Stegmann (), Rahel Bürgi () and Markus Lamprecht ()
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Siegfried Nagel: Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern
Pascal Stegmann: Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern
Rahel Bürgi: Lamprecht & Stamm Sozialforschung und Beratung
Markus Lamprecht: Lamprecht & Stamm Sozialforschung und Beratung

Chapter Chapter 12 in Functions of Sports Clubs in European Societies, 2020, pp 289-313 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract About 20% of the Swiss population practise sports in a club, and the nearly 19,000 sports clubs are a core element of the Swiss sports landscape and can contribute to public welfare. Sports clubs are accredited with various socio-political functions, although there are no far-reaching sports policy programmes – except Youth and Sport. The results of this chapter demonstrate that sports clubs can promote public health, social integration and democratic decision-making, particularly through voluntary work by the members. Sports club members usually practise sports regularly. Thus, sports clubs can contribute to individual as well as to public health, even though sports clubs frequently have no specific focus on health promotion. There is considerable evidence that sports clubs are able to contribute to social integration, since they usually promote goals such as openness and conviviality and most members identify with their club and have social networks and friendships. The principle of bottom-up democratic decision-making ensures that the sports programmes fit the interests of the members. Therefore, sports clubs can promote democratic involvement and active citizenship. Particularly volunteering in sports clubs gives people the opportunity to engage for society and therefore can contribute to social cohesion and trust in Swiss society.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-48535-1_12

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