The aim of this research lies, besides an analysis of the situation of the youth sport system in Austria, on the development of quality indicators of youth sport on a national level. An extensive review of existing literature on youth sport policy at national and European level will lay the fundamental basis for further research. Sports policy and policy-making-processes theory will be displayed in the theoretical framework. The research questions therefore investigate what quality criteria could be proposed to fulfill an effective youth sport policy. Therefore, preliminarily the current situation and structures of the youth sport in Austria will be analyzed as groundwork. Empirical data of conducted experts’ interviews within the area of youth sport will be evaluated.
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Jugendsportpolitik stellt bis dato ein sehr wenig erforschtes Gebiet in der Sportwissenschaft dar. Die meisten Studien die Jugend und Sport behandeln untersuchen quantitativ Sportpartizipation oder den gesundheitlichen Zustand der Jugend eines Landes. In der Literatur wird viel über den erschreckend schlechten Gesundheitszustand der Jugendlichen diskutiert, doch genaue Untersuchungen die den Hintergrund durchleuchten, wie das Jugendsportsystem aufgebaut ist und funktioniert, gibt es kaum. Genauso fehlen in der Literatur generelle Qualitätsindikatoren, was eine qualitativ hochwertige Jugendarbeit ausmacht. Aus diesem Grund hat diese Masterarbeit das Ziel, eine systematische Darstellung der Jugendsportpolitik in Österreich sowie auf europäischen Level zu präsentieren. Des Weiteren werden Qualitätskriterien für die nationale Arbeit im Jugendsport durch die Empirie herausgearbeitet.
Der empirische Teil umfasst auf der einen Seite eine sekundäre Datenanalyse durch umfassender Literaturrecherche. Primäre Daten, auf der anderen Seite, werden durch sieben Experteninterviews gewonnen. Die transkribierten Interviews werden analysiert und in Bezug auf die Forschungsfragen mit Hilfe der Analyse Software MAXQDA 11 interpretiert.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine umfassende Darstellung des Jugendsportsystems in Österreich und auf europäischer Ebene. Bezüglich der Erarbeitung von Qualitätsindikatoren bringen die Erkenntnisse aus Literatur und der empirischen Untersuchung ein umfassendes Modell hervor.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Relevance of the Research Problem
1.2 Purpose Statement
1.3 Structure
2. Literature Review
2.1 Youth Sport and Sport Policy
2.2 Status Quo Health Situation of Austrian Youth
2.3 Youth Sport System and Politics in Austria
2.4 Youth Sport at European Level
2.4.1 Health and Sport Situation
2.4.2 Youth Sport at European Level
2.4.3 Germany
2.4.4 Finland
3. Theoretical Framework
3.1 Definitions
3.2 Sports Policy – Theoretical Approach
3.3 Quality Management
3.4 Quality Management in Sport and Non-Profit Organizations
4. Research Questions
5. Methodology
5.1 Research Design and Method
5.2 Data Collection and Analysis
5.2.1 Data Collection
5.2.2 Interview Processes
5.2.3 Data Analysis
5.3 Development of the Guideline for the Semi-structured Interviews
6. Results
6.1 Youth Sport System
6.1.1 Policy Documents
6.1.2 Structure of Youth Sport in Austria
6.1.3 Youth Sport at European Level
6.1.4 Tasks and Actions of Youth Sport
6.1.5 Interference Parameters
6.1.6 Factors of Success in Youth Sport
6.2 Quality Criteria
6.2.1 Definition of ‘Quality’
6.2.2 Quality Criteria
6.2.3 Quality Management in Sports Organization
7. Discussion
7.1 Discussion of Research Questions
7. 1.1 Structure of Youth Sport
7.1.2 Quality Criteria of Youth Sport Policy
7.2 Limitations
8. Conclusion and Implications
Objectives and Core Topics
This master thesis aims to systematically analyze the youth sport system in Austria and at the European level. By conducting expert interviews and a comprehensive literature review, the research seeks to identify and develop quality indicators and criteria for a national youth sport policy, addressing the current lack of a unified policy framework and scientific evidence in this field.
- Analysis of the current youth sport structure in Austria.
- Comparative examination of youth sport policy approaches in selected European countries (Germany and Finland).
- Development of a model for quality criteria in youth sport.
- Evaluation of stakeholder interactions and their influence on policy implementation.
- Investigation into the sustainability and organizational efficiency of youth sport programs.
Excerpt from the Thesis
2.1 Youth Sport and Sport Policy
The fact that sport and politics cannot be separated is widely spread for years. Still a comprehensive standardized terminology of sports policy and its fields of action lacks in academic literature (Güldenpfennig, 2010). Sport constitutes an ideal framework for politicians, not only because of the high public interest in sport, but as well because of the increasing mergence of economy, sport, and media (Hollerer, 2012). Generally in the field of sports nowadays, a variety of actors from state, market, and society are interacting (Klaus, 2013). According to Güldenpfennig (2010) the interplay of sports and politics has been shaped imprecisely throughout a long period of time and can still be seen as scientific developing region. He accepts the hypothesis that sport politics constitutes policy in the field of sports for corresponding achievement and success, and for the establishment of spaces of freedom where the potential of power can be unfolded in.
Sport policy area is in a nutshell characterized by “recency, increasing government intervention, embedded beliefs, a dispersed administrative context and experiences of significant exogenous influences” (King, 2009, p. 20), which all together forms the strategic actions of policymakers and practitioners. Groll (2010) expands the term sport policy by the multiple interaction processes with other areas of society. The term policy itself has been defined in a variety of different ways. Nowadays, the BusinessDictionary.com sees policy as “basic principles by which a government is guided” as well as the “declared objectives that a government or party seeks to achieve and preserve in the interest of national community”. Hill (1997, p. 41) argued that “policy is the product of the exercise of political influence, determining what the state does and setting limits to what it does”. Furthermore, King (2009, p. 23) highlights the policy’s characteristic as a process and “sequence or cluster of decisions”, which opposes it to single decisions. Skille (2014) additionally accentuates the distinction between policy making and policy implementation since policy is more than making decisions; there is also a course of actions that are directed towards the achievements of set objectives.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the relevance of the research problem regarding youth health and the current state of youth sport policy in Austria, along with the purpose and structure of the thesis.
2. Literature Review: Provides a holistic overview of existing literature on sport policy, including the current status of the Austrian youth sport system and comparative insights from Germany and Finland.
3. Theoretical Framework: Outlines essential definitions, sports policy theories (such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework), and quality management concepts in non-profit and sports organizations.
4. Research Questions: Details the primary research goals and specific sub-questions regarding the structure of youth sport and the development of quality criteria.
5. Methodology: Describes the qualitative research approach, the selection of expert interviewees, and the process of data analysis using MAXQDA 11.
6. Results: Details the findings from the data analysis, focusing on policy documents, current structural challenges, stakeholder collaboration, and identified factors of success.
7. Discussion: Consolidates the empirical results with the theoretical framework to answer the research questions and addresses the study's limitations.
8. Conclusion and Implications: Summarizes the study’s findings and suggests recommendations for future youth sport policy development.
Keywords
Youth Sport, Sport Policy, Quality Indicators, Austria, Sports Organizations, Stakeholder Interaction, Policy Implementation, Non-Profit Management, Sustainability, Sport Participation, Qualitative Research, Youth Work, European Sport Policy, Quality Management, Institutional Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on the lack of a structured youth sport policy in Austria and aims to identify quality indicators to professionalize and improve the current youth sport landscape.
What are the key thematic areas addressed in this study?
Key areas include the current health situation of Austrian youth, the organizational structure of the Austrian sport system, comparative perspectives from Germany and Finland, and quality management principles within non-profit sports organizations.
What is the main objective or research question?
The primary goal is to determine how the current youth sport system in Austria can be described and what specific quality criteria can be proposed to establish an effective, long-term youth sport policy.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The study uses a qualitative research approach, consisting of a secondary data analysis (literature review) and primary data collection through seven semi-structured expert interviews, analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method via MAXQDA.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body examines the legal basis for youth work, the complex stakeholder network in Austria, the challenges of policy implementation, the importance of sustainability in projects, and the definition of 'quality' within sport federations.
What are the primary keywords characterizing this work?
Keywords include Youth Sport, Sport Policy, Quality Indicators, Austria, Stakeholder Interaction, Sustainability, and Non-Profit Management.
What specific role does the 'Advocacy Coalition Framework' (ACF) play in this study?
The ACF is utilized as a theoretical lens to analyze policy processes, stakeholder interactions, and the stability or change within the youth sport system over time.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding a potential new 'Youth Federation'?
The author and interviewed experts suggest that a new, separate organization is not necessarily the solution. Instead, sustainability, professional full-time staffing, and the integration of youth voices within existing structures are considered more critical success factors.
How does the author evaluate the impact of 'project-based' funding?
The author identifies project-based funding as problematic because it often lacks long-term sustainability, creating transient structures rather than anchored, permanent improvements in the youth sport system.
- Citation du texte
- Ursula Witzani (Auteur), 2015, Youth Sport Policy in Austria. Analysis and Development of Quality Indicators at National Level, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/307618
