ABSTRACT
Politicians and researchers alike often delimit sports development programmes and studies thereof within nation-state borders. This focus on the nation-state as the natural political and cultural container has been described as methodological nationalism, and criticised for not considering migrants’ diverse backgrounds and transnational connections. The objective of this chapter is to identify how various modes of methodological nationalism are embedded in research and policy towards migrants and descendants in recreational sports, and to discuss the challenges and options in adopting transnational perspectives on sports and migration issues. I will point to three problematic variants of methodological nationalism: systematic blindness, naturalisation and territorial limitation. This will be achieved by considering policies and programmes that attempt to promote migrants and descendants’ integration into Danish sports clubs. Furthermore, I will discuss the difficulties in transforming the prevalent national framing of policymaking towards migrants and descendants in sports. It is suggested that researchers conduct cross-border studies that include attention to the ways in which migrants and descendants’ transnational connections and experiences form the basis for their involvement in sports.
