An Examination of the Role of Sport Participation in the Acculturation of Chinese Immigrants in Australia

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of sport participation in the acculturation process of Chinese immigrants in Australia. In doing so, this thesis offers sport policy makers and managers recommendations on how to facilitate Chinese immigrants’ integration into the local community through sport participation. Chinese immigrants are becoming one of the most dominant immigrants group in Australia (Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2011a, 2011b), and influential to the Australian community politically, economically and socially (Freeman & Birrell, 2001; Jupp, 1995, 1997). Meanwhile, studies (e.g. Kell, 2000; Lock, Taylor and Darcy, 2008; Taylor, Lock and Darcy, 2009) have indicated that sport participation can play an important role in building social capital amongst minority groups, including immigrants. Crawford (2009) indicated that Chinese immigrants are likely to participate in sport, in particular badminton and table tennis, when they settle in Australia. Hence, it is likely that Chinese immigrants use sport participation as a way to seek interaction and adaptation in the local community in their efforts to acculturate. However, acculturation studies have too often neglected the role of sport participation in immigrants’ adaptation to the new life in Australia (Berry, Phinney, Sam, & Vedder, 2006; Phinney, Jacoby, & Silva, 2007; Ward & Masgoret, 2006, 2008).