ABSTRACT
The idea that the development process can be facilitated through sport and play-based interventions is integral to the evolution of modern sporting forms (Guilianotti 2004). 1 It is reflected in the long-held supposition that sport has agency in the promulgation of social norms and values and has been the basis of attempts to promote sport as a conduit for the social, cultural and physical development, particularly of young people (Elias and Dunning 1986; Holt 1989; Macaloon 2006). This supposition has been adopted by policy makers and social commentators throughout the Global North – in particular the United Kingdom (DCMS 2001), Australia (Social Inclusion Unit, Government of South Australia 2005) and Canada (Clark 2008). In the broader international context, a significant global movement has emerged and is becoming embedded within international development frameworks (Sport for Development & Peace International Working Group 2008a). ‘Development through sport’ has featured in a range of public policy contexts (Australian Sport Commission 2007) and has been embodied in protocols of organizations as various as the United Nations (UN) 2 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 3
