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| 2. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Challenges and Change Readiness in Grassroot Sport : Popular summary
- 2023
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Sports can strengthen social inclusion and tackle various economic, social, and environmental challenges, bind individuals and communities together and promote objectives such as health, education, climate action, sustainability, and social development. Nonetheless, organised sport at the grassroot level in Europe is facing severe challenges: declining membership rates, reduced levels of physical activity among adolescents and difficulties in recruiting volunteers. Sport organisations, in particular in the non-profit sector and with limited resources, are struggling to find time and resources to create new sustainable, inclusive and innovative ways to work. The Erasmus + project CHANGE – Cooperation for Change Management and Innovation in Sports (CHANGE) has been created to equip sport’s governing bodies, sport organisations, and sport leaders with new, innovative, and sustainable tools to support sport at the grassroot level. Coordinated by ENGSO, it consists of eleven partners from nine countries: 1) research (Malmö University & EASM), 2) sport organisations (UFEC-Catalonia; Basics Sport Club, Belgium; World Snowboard Federation, Austria; Latvian Sports Federation Council; DIF, Denmark; and Opes, Italy) and 3) experts in the field of sport and digitalization, inclusion/engagement and sustainability (SandSI, N3XT Sports and ENGSO). Within CHANGE, the Department for Sport Sciences at Malmö University is responsible for background research regarding change management and innovation in contemporary grassroot sports in Europe. In this report, we summarise research activities carried out in 2023 and insights from 3 workshops with stakeholders from sport organisations and academia. The overarching research questions in this report are: 1) What challenges are the grassroot sport movement/organisations facing today? 2) Are the grassroot sport organisations equipped to handle the challenges? Do they have change readiness? 3) How can we understand the results?
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| 3. |
- Book, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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New spatial practices in organised sport following COVID-19 : the Swedish case
- 2022
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Ingår i: Sport in Society. - : Routledge. - 1743-0437 .- 1743-0445. ; 25:7, s. 1343-1357
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the majority of European countries imposed lockdowns, whereas Sweden introduced comparatively moderate constraints. The Public Health Agency of Sweden stated that sports and physical activity could continue if conducted ‘safely’ and recommended outdoor activities. This article aims to identify new spatial practices and strategies developed by organised recreational sport providers (i.e. sport clubs, commercial providers) following the outbreak of the pandemic. Further, it identifies obstacles and opportunities for new spatial solutions, as well as possible long-term (lasting) effects of the strategies imposed. Also, it discusses these obstacles and opportunities in relation to contemporary sport facility challenge. The data draws upon 24 semi-structured interviews with sport coaches and leaders. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis. The results suggest that most respondents show adaptability by moving their activities outdoors. Generally, for-profit organisations have been more innovative and adaptive. Obstacles for new spatial solutions include localisation, weather, (perceived) need of equipment, leadership, competing interests in public space, and notably the perception of what sport is. Positive examples of spatial adaptability show that there is a potential for sport providers to open up for different spatial solutions and more flexibility in relation to their activities, in order to ease the pressure on formal indoor (and, to some extent, outdoor) sport facilities while amending the perception of sport activities. Research methodsThe data draws upon 24 semi-structured interviews with sport coaches and leaders. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis.Results and findingsThe results suggest that most respondents show adaptability by moving their activities outdoors. Generally, for-profit organisations have been more innovative and adaptive. Obstacles for new spatial solutions include localisation, weather, (perceived) need of equipment, leadership, competing interests in public space, and notably the perception of what sport is.ImplicationsPositive examples of spatial adaptability show that there is a potential for sport providers to open up for different spatial solutions and more flexibility in relation to their activities, in order to ease the pressure on formal indoor (and, to some extent, outdoor) sport facilities while amending the perception of sport activities.
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| 4. |
- Sparrman, Anna, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Child Studies Multiple : Collaborative play for thinking through theories and methods
- 2023
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Ingår i: Culture Unbound. - : Linköping University Electronic Press. - 2000-1525. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This text is an exploration of collaborative thinking and writing through theories, methods, and experiences on the topic of the child, children, and childhood. It is a collaborative written text (with 32 authors) that sprang out of the experimental workshop Child Studies Multiple. The workshop and this text are about daring to stay with mess, “un-closure” , and uncertainty in order to investigate the (e)motions and complexities of being either a child or a researcher. The theoretical and methodological processes presented here offer an opportunity to shake the ground on which individual researchers stand by raising questions about scientific inspiration, theoretical and methodological productivity, and thinking through focusing on process, play, and collaboration. The effect of this is a questioning of the singular academic ‘I’ by exploring and showing what a plural ‘I’ can look like. It is about what the multiplicity of voice can offer research in a highly individualistic time. The article allows the reader to follow and watch the unconventional trial-and-error path of the ongoing-ness of exploring theories and methods together as a research community via methods of drama, palimpsest, and fictionary.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Strain-specific metabarcoding reveals rapid evolution of copper tolerance in populations of the coastal diatom Skeletonema marinoi
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phytoplankton have short generation times, flexible reproduction strategies, large population sizes and high standing genetic diversity, traits that should facilitate rapid evolution under directional selection. We quantified local adaptation of copper tolerance in a population of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi from a mining-exposed inlet in the Baltic Sea and in a non-exposed population 100 km away. We hypothesized that mining pollution has driven evolution of elevated copper tolerance in the impacted population of S. marinoi. Assays of 58 strains originating from sediment resting stages revealed no difference in the average tolerance to copper between the two populations. However, variation within populations was greater at the mining site, with three strains displaying hyper-tolerant phenotypes. In an artificial evolution experiment, we used a novel intraspecific metabarcoding locus to track selection and quantify fitness of all 58 strains during co-cultivation in one control and one toxic copper treatment. As expected, the hyper-tolerant strains enabled rapid evolution of copper tolerance in the mining-exposed population through selection on available strain diversity. Within 42 days, in each experimental replicate a single strain dominated (30%–99% abundance) but different strains dominated the different treatments. The reference population developed tolerance beyond expectations primarily due to slowly developing plastic response in one strain, suggesting that different modes of copper tolerance are present in the two populations. Our findings provide novel empirical evidence that standing genetic diversity of phytoplankton resting stage allows populations to evolve rapidly (20–50 generations) and flexibly on timescales relevant for seasonal bloom progressions.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Being a Group Fitness Instructor during the COVID-19 Crisis : Navigating Professional Identity, Social Distancing, and Community
- 2021
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Ingår i: Social Sciences. - : MDPI. - 2076-0760. ; 10:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research question and purpose: Les Mills is a New Zealand-based fitness distributor with a community consisting of approximately 140.000 instructors worldwide who teach standardized workout routines. This paper aims to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic and related measurements, such as social distancing affect the everyday lives and professions of Les Mills International (LMI) group fitness instructors. The aim was met with the following research questions: RQ1: How are social distancing and social connectedness understood, and how do they condition LMI instructors' understanding of their profession? RQ2: What do LMI instructors think about the #LesMillsUnited campaign to maintain a strong trainer community in the midst of the pandemic? RQ3: How do LMI instructors think that group fitness will change long term due to social distancing? Research methods: Using qualitative measures and a case-study-based approach, data were gathered through interviews with LMI-certified group fitness instructors. Seven semi-structured focused group discussions with fifteen group fitness instructors from different countries were conducted and audio recorded. The first round of virtual discussions took place in April 2020, and the follow-up talks in September 2020. A thematic analysis was employed to analyze the material. Results and findings: According to the participants, online classes as a means of upholding group fitness in times of social distancing is an insufficient substitute to face-to-face instructing, lacking social connectedness that is normally maintained through successful rituals or social scripts. Navigating "instructorhood" during the pandemic includes emotional labor where not only relationships to clients are challenged, but instructors also experience societal pressure to reinvent themselves as instructors. Implications: With no way of telling how long social distancing needs to be practiced, the group fitness industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Making sense of the group fitness profession currently preoccupies instructors who may now have to redefine to themselves how they can teach, and who for.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SWEDEN DURING COVID-19 : A COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroductionAccording to accumulated data, COVID-19 related restrictions can lead to considerable inactivity and sedentary lifestyles. The Swedish COVID-19 response consisted of guidelines rather than restrictions, which could possibly have a positive impact on activity levels remaining high. To investigate to which extent self-rated physical activity changed during the Swedish COVID-19 response, two cross-sectional surveys (N = 10,560) were conducted. The data constitutes the most comprehensive material on COVID-19 and physical activity extracted from Sweden. The aim is to contribute with new knowledge about general trends in physical activity during the Corona-pandemic in Sweden.MethodsThe method used is based on a quantitative cross-sectional retrospective approach. This approach makes it possible to clearly illustrate how the respondents’ (N = 10,560) answers differ depending on whether the questions referred to physical activity “before COVID-19” or “during COVID-19”. The data was collected on two different occasions (dataset 1 & dataset 2). Both surveys were digital questionnaires. The first dataset was distributed through social media, and The Swedish Research Council for Sport Science, whereas the second survey was distributed via e-mail. Dataset one was collected between 8 April 2020 to 14 august 2020, while dataset two was gathered from 8 December 2021 to 22 January 2021. The analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations, and ANOVA. Cohen’s guidelines were used to establish what should be considered small, medium, and large differences.ResultsOverall, the results convey that there are significant differences for many people in everyday exercise performance during COVID-19. The most striking result is that many respondents report the same amount of everyday exercise, however, less physical training, and more sedentariness. Moreover, the result shows that elderly respondents were more affected than younger people, yet younger people reported more increased time sitting down. In terms of gender, although the Cohen guidelines categorize the difference as small, women had higher scores on sedentariness and reduced physical activity. DiscussionBoth datasets reveal that patterns of physical activity have changed during COVID-19. However, contrary to what some studies conducted in Sweden have argued, within our datasets, differences across gender and age yielded only small differences. This deviates from studies that report that COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on certain demographic groups. We conclude that respondents report less physical training regardless of demographic specificities. That elderly report less movement aligns with the outcomes of similar large-scale studies conducted in other countries. Finally, we suggest that one reason for differing results could be the use of different definitions when employing questionnaires to gain information on perceived physical activity.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Continued sport and physical exercise during COVID-19: Strategies of staying active in Sweden
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects both for the global sport community as well as for individual exercisers around the world. Due to a wide range of imposed measurements to prevent the disease, day-to-day physical activities for entire populations are restricted by physical distancing, cancelled tournaments, and closed gyms. Sweden has chosen to apply recommendations instead of restrictions, however, little is known about how individuals in Sweden reason around, and act out their personal sport participation. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to increase knowledge of how sport participation was motivated from a micro perspective during the first wave of COVID-19. The paper is based on a mixed-methods-study with data from a questionnaire (N = 1,141) and material from semi-structured interviews (N =90). The results indicate that respondents who were already active before the pandemic remained active or even increased their activity levels. To investigate this further, the interviews were analyzed with critical discourse analysis to uncover how respondents justified their continued/increased personal sport participation. These could be summarized as (discursive) strategies of perpetuation based on (i) specific contexts, (ii) scientific and (personal) experienced knowledge of covid-19, and (iii) trust in others’ ability to follow recommendations to prevent the spread. Accordingly, this study contributes with new knowledge of how sport participation in Sweden was motivated, and, from a larger perspective, how a pandemic may influence attitudes toward health and exercise in an advanced Western capitalist society.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SWEDISH REGIONAL SPORT STRATEGY, PERCEIVED TRUST, AND NON-PROFIT SPORT ORGANIZATIONS’ MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN
- 2023
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroductionSport and trust-based governance is a cornerstone of Swedish sport management. There are more than 20,000 sport associations, and the sport sector receives approximately USD 20 million in public funding yearly. The Swedish Sports Confederation (SSC) is a non-profit umbrella organisation that coordinates the management of Swedish sport. SSC’s “what sport wants” is an appropriation document on the vision of the Swedish sport movement wherein SSC advise sport clubs to focus on inclusivity, hard to reach societal groups, and sport for the masses rather than the fostering of elite players. Concurrently, it is problematic that there is no research on what motivates sport clubs to apply what sport wants (Book, Hedenborg & Andersson, 2022). Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to contribute new knowledge on what influences Swedish sports clubs in carrying out what sport wants’s national goals for sport participation.MethodsThe data consists of self-rated answers (N = 1,937) from a questionnaire, distributed to all non-profit sport organizations in southern Sweden in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The questionnaire focused on sport organizations’ 1) perceived support from SSC, 2) perceived trust in SSC, 3) competence in what sport wants and, 4) how frequently the sports associations worked with equity (including anti-discrimination and inclusion). X2-test and regression analyses were used to analyze differences between the years 2017, 2018 and 2020, and the relationship between perceived support from SSC, perceived trust in SSC, competence in what sport wants, and how frequently the sports association worked with equity. Effect size measurements were calculated and interpreted based on established guidelines.ResultsPreliminary results indicate that sport organizations’ perceived support from SSC has decreased significantly and continuously between 2017 (M = 3.0), 2018 (M = 2.9), and 2020 (M = 2.8). It does not seem to be any differences in perceived trust in SSC and equity. The results also show that, competence in what sport wants (β = .225), and perceived support from SSC (β = .278) can predict to which extent sport organizations work with equity (R2 =.278).DiscussionPreliminary results indicate that more support and trust in SSC lead to increased realization of what sport wants. However, since the results show that perceived support for SSC has decreased between 2017, 2018, and 2020, this study illuminates an urgency of maintaining a strong relationship between Swedish sport clubs and SSC. Moreover, the results confirm the efficiency of the trust-based management model used in Sweden, which seemingly leads to deliverables among the participating associations.Book, K., Hedenborg, S., & Andersson, K. (2022). New spatial practices in organised sport following COVID-19: the Swedish case. Sport in Society, 25(7), 1343–1357. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2022.2031017
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1990-
(författare)
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Finding fun in the fatigue : Exploring healthism among group fitness instructors
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cultural Studies. - : Sage Publications. - 1367-5494 .- 1460-3551.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concept of health is culturally contingent, and fitness practices provide a venue to gain insights into the construction of health. In this case study-based article, I focus on group fitness instructors' narratives on healthiness and fitness rituals. By combining Foucault's notion of the 'microphysics of power' and the socio-cultural phenomenon healthism, I employ a genealogical approach that reveals how healthism renders a discursive space for group fitness instructors ('local fitness experts') to navigate their understanding of health norms. A qualitative method consisting of 22 semi-structured interviews was used. Group fitness instructors teaching in Austria for a global group fitness distributor (Les Mills) were interviewed. The results show that eliminating risks to health is the highest imperative to the instructors, which is traced back to a dichotomy between 'disciplined training' and 'fun training', where fun training is seen as feminine and risky. Furthermore, instructors underline their health literacy through skeptical consumerism - choosing health for the sacrifice of fun or finding fun in the fatigue.
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