Bridging Historical and Intercultural Transfers in Social Inclusion of immigrants through sport and education from the Middle Ages to the Present

In an era of increasing global mobility, the integration of immigrants into host societies represents a complex and pressing challenge. With more than 272 million international migrants recorded in 2019, states are increasingly required to design inclusive, evidence-based policies that promote the integration and well-being of migrant populations. This thesis explores the role of sport as a mechanism for immigrant integration, with a particular focus on youth — a group often especially vulnerable to exclusion and marginalization. Sport is approached as a social tool with transformative potential. It is recognized for its ability to foster connections among individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, while simultaneously strengthening participants’ sense of belonging, self-esteem, and mental well-being. Studies conducted in countries such as Canada and the United States indicate that sports programs can enhance language skills, expand social networks, and improve the mental health of immigrant youth. Nevertheless, existing research often remains limited in scope, focusing narrowly on specific communities and insufficiently representing the lived experiences of immigrants themselves. This study adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on sociological, political, and anthropological perspectives to address these gaps. It seeks to investigate how sport promotes integration not only at the individual level but also within broader social and institutional frameworks. Particular attention is given to how sports programs are designed, implemented, and experienced, as well as to whether they genuinely function as inclusive spaces for social participation and empowerment. Migration, in this study, is understood as a complex and historically continuous phenomenon. This dissertation presents the contribution of sport and education to the social inclusion of migrants, with an emphasis on the historical, cultural, and social variables that shape the relevant processes. Migration, as a timeless phenomenon, has been documented from antiquity, through the Middle Ages, and into the modern era. In each historical period, sport and education have emerged - to a lesser or greater extent - as channels of inclusion, enhancing social participation, intercultural understanding, and the personal development of displaced populations. Within this context, the dissertation analyzes the social integration of migrants through sport and education across three distinct historical phases: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the period from the Middle Ages to the present...

Author

• Bourogianni, Vasilki

• Social inclusion
• Intercultural Education
• Immigrant Youth
• Belonging
• Inclusive Sport
• Empowerment
• Community Engagement
• Identity
• Integration
• Early Middle Ages
• High Middle Ages
• Late Middle Ages

Identifier

hdl:10045/169375

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rua.ua.es:10045/169375