ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the social and organizational contexts of sport in the communities being studied, and it shows how these sports activities are organized and embedded in particular social settings that are subject to change over time. The four cases analyzed in this book all cater to a specific need. This need is at once personal and collective, and it is voiced not only by individuals, groups and agencies “from above” (i.e. politicians, policymakers, professionals) but also “from below”, that is, by young people and other community members. Before proceeding to an in-depth cross-case comparison, however, it is necessary to explore the nature of this need as a way to situate people’s experiences with sport.
