RESPONSE participated in the 57th World Congress of Sociology of Sport in Ottawa, Canada! In August, Frida Wågan, Sigbjørn Skirbekk, Mads Skauge, Anna Adlwarth, Stian Røsten, and Anne Tjønndal traveled to the University of Ottawa. Here, you can read about our conference experience!
Monday, August 14th:
For our team, the first day of the conference began with Anne attending a meeting of the editorial board for the scientific journal International Review for the Sociology of Sport. This marked the final editorial board meeting under the leadership of the current editor, Professor Dominic Malcolm (Loughborough University, England). The journal has been well-run under Professor Malcolm’s leadership and is one of the most esteemed sociology of sport journals globally. The new editor for IRSS is Dr. Brent Mcdonald (Victoria University, Australia).
In the afternoon, conference attendees from around the world were welcomed by the head of the local organizing committee, Professor Christine Dallaire, and the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ottawa. The conference’s keynote was an engaging lecture delivered by PhD candidate Ashraf Amiri (University of Massachusetts Boston) and Professor Jay Scherer (University of Alberta) on “Physical Culture, Forced Migration, and Resettlement: Lessons From the Kabul-Edmonton Soccer Team.” Their presentation illustrated the crucial role sports play in the lives of refugees and how it can serve as a tool for healing traumatic experiences for children and youth. It also exemplified how sports do not automatically function as a good integration platform, but rather require efforts from dedicated individuals. Amiri himself was one of the refugees from Kabul who ended up in Edmonton, Canada. It was a thought-provoking start to the conference, laying the foundation for days filled with enriching discussions and valuable insights about sports and society.
Tuesday, August 15th:
The second day of the conference began with the first parallel sessions, where researchers from all over the world presented their research projects. The presentations were spread across 7 thematic sessions, making it challenging to attend everything of interest! Therefore, we divided ourselves and attended presentations on topics like sports and gender, physical activity and schools, sports and politics, and more. After an hour and a half of presentations, RESPONSE met for a coffee break before moving on to the next item on the agenda: a panel discussion featuring various Canadian organizations working on the inclusion of minorities in sports activities. There were many engaging discussions, particularly focused on aspects that researchers working with voluntary organizations and minorities should consider. There was much to learn!
After lunch, it was time for the first RESPONSE presentation at the conference. Sigbjørn presented a paper from his PhD project in the second session on sports and gender. The presentation revolved around the significance of gender and technology in the education of top football referees in the context of Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR). Following the presentation, Sigbjørn received numerous interesting questions and feedback from the audience, which he will carry forward in his ongoing work. Additionally, he could now relax and look forward to attending many exciting presentations throughout the week. After a long day at the University of Ottawa, we explored the city both with and without running shoes. The day ended with a group dinner where we discussed the day’s presentations and those still to come.
Wednesday, August 16th:
On the third day of the conference, similar to the second day, there were parallel sessions focused on various sociological topics related to sports. RESPONSE were well-represented in various sessions throughout the day, covering themes such as ‘Sport and the Environment,’ ‘Sport and Gender,’ and ‘Youth Sport.’ In the first session of the day on ‘Sport and the Environment,’ Frida presented her paper on environmental discourses within international football, with a particular focus on how environmental organizations and athlete activism challenge the framing of environmental sustainability by international sports federations. Anna followed up with her presentation on ‘Gender Neutral Sports Martial Arts Fights in German Local Communities’ in the ‘Sport and Gender’ session, and Mads presented in the ‘Youth Sport’ session. Anna’s presentation delved into how gender-neutral martial arts fights in local communities in Germany can contribute to deconstructing traditional gender understandings, while Mads’ presentation explored how ‘Breaking’ has been introduced as a separate sport in the Olympics and how this has lead to a ‘sportification’ of ‘Breaking’, which focuses on quantifiable performance metrics, professionalization of coaching and athlete roles, and more bureaucratic governing methods within groups/clubs and federations. Both presentations were very interesting and generated engaging discussions and enthusiasm among the audience.
Since our dear research group leader Anne was celebrating her birthday, the evening was spent at dinner and birthday celebrations at ‘The Clarendon Tavern’ with a large part of the research group. Good food and pleasant company rarely disappoint, and altogether, it was a wonderful evening. Taking advantage of the fine weather, Frida went on a hike to ‘Kingswood Cottage’ and ‘Pink Lake’ in Parc de Gatineau with PhD student Julia from the University of British Columbia. This area, located about an hour outside the city, is highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful nature and is visiting Ottawa. After a fulfilling Wednesday with many impressions, the group went to bed early to recharge for new presentations and more fun on day 4 of the conference.
Thursday, August 17th:
The morning after a pleasant birthday celebration, the birthday girl Anne was ready to present one of her ongoing research projects. Appropriately, this parallel session on ‘Sport Coaching and Pedagogy’ was held in an innovative learning space at the university, filled with small seating areas, PC screens, and other potential distractions. This challenging environment required presenters to utilize their theoretical knowledge and practical experiences from their coaching roles in sports. Despite the suboptimal conditions in a room designed for student activities, it was no issue for Anne to capture the attention of the audience when she presented Norwegian coaches’ experiences in coaching Chinese athletes in connection with the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Her presentation highlighted many intriguing tensions between two very different “cultures,” emphasizing the analytical main point of “caring” for the athletes. In the same session, Heidi Østbø Haugen (University of Oslo) also presented on the debated sports collaboration between Norway and China, and Christian Thue Bjørndal (Norwegian School of Sport Sciences) focused on education for sustainable development. In other words, it almost felt like being on “home turf,” despite being over 5000 kilometers from Norway. After a thirty-minute coffee break, it was time for the conference’s tenth and final parallel session. Benjamin Disraeli’s famous quote, “good things come to those who wait” couldn’t have been more fitting. Now it was finally Stian’s turn to present. In the session on ‘Sport and New Technologies,’ he discussed the impact of technology on elite sports refereeing. This is a work in progress article involving multiple RESPONSE researchers and is hopefully set to be published soon.
In the evening, there was a closing ceremony at the ‘Mill Street Ottawa Brewpub.’ A wide selection of delicious appetizers and beverages was served. The building, over 140 years old, which was previously used to grind grain into flour, can certainly be considered a perfect location for such an event. Just as there are many benefits to milling grain, this experience also left us “craving for more” and provided “nourishment” through inspiring conversations and networking. All in all, it was a nice and fitting conclusion after four content-rich, exciting, and informative days in Ottawa – well worth the long journey across the Atlantic and the ‘jet lag’ awaiting us back in Bodø.
