ABSTRACT
As outlined in Chapter 2, the most consistent rationales underpinning public investment in sport and in sport-for-development have been based on the supposed moral component of sport and its ability to: teach ‘lessons for life’; contribute to ‘character building’ (e.g. honesty, integrity, trustworthiness); develop self-discipline and deferred gratification and positive moral reasoning (President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, 2006); develop self-confidence, self-efficacy and self-esteem as a basis for changing values, attitudes and behaviour (Chapters 4, 5 and 6). Sport has consistently been promoted as having potential to contribute to crime prevention, the reduction of anti-social behaviour and the rehabilitation of recidivists, to promote social inclusion and contribute to the diffuse notion of ‘development’ (Coalter, 2007; Nichols, 2007; Collins and Kay, 2003) — it is as if ‘sport’ is viewed as consistently and inherently about development.
