Mer än idrott: Idrottsklivet som vardagsstöd i bostadsområden där välfärden brister

This study explores what kinds of knowledge are being developed within Idrottsklivet, a national initiative aimed at increasing inclusion, safety, and access to sports for children and young people in socioeconomically marginalised areas. We examine how sports clubs, national sports federations, and RF-SISU districts understand and work with these issues, and how the knowledge they gain is shared and sustained. The study also reflects on how different forms of knowledge can contribute to local social development and interact with broader patterns of urban segregation.

Drawing on previous research about organisational learning, the study uses document analysis pertaining to interviews in three Swedish cities to understand what knowledge emerges from documents and practice, and its transferability between levels. The most important finding is that locally grounded knowledge plays a central role. This knowledge is often tacit, experience-based, and carried by local champions rather than formalised in manuals or guidelines. The practice of sports, social networks and face-to-face meetings are crucial for learning and for maintaining the relationships that make the activities performed within Idrottsklivet possible.

The study also shows that Idrottsklivet functions as a form of place-based welfare. Sports clubs often meet children’s needs for safety, stable routines, meaningful activities, and supportive adults—the provision of which go far beyond traditional sports practice. While national level actors emphasise inclusion and organisational development, local practitioners focus on responding to immediate social needs. This creates tensions between national goals and local realities, which makes Idrottsklivet highly dependent on local, making it vulnerable.

To support the long-term sustainability of Idrottsklivet, this study offers three key lessons: protect the relationships that embody the values of the programme; strengthening organisational capacity to ensure that its values are anchored in the organisation rather than in individual local champions; and continuing to build on local knowledge rather than aiming for development of standardised models at the national level. The strength of Idrottsklivet lies in its place-based character, and attempts to replace local practice with generic templates that risk undermining its impact and thus relevance.