Identitätskonstruktionen marginalisierter Jugendlicher im informellen Sport

Abstract

In public and political debates young ethnic minority men are commonly labelled as a ‘problem group’ and in scientific discourses researchers attest them difficulties with identity development. Taking into account that young ethnic minority men are primarily keen on physical activities in informal contexts, this dissertation focuses on the informal football and basketball activities of underprivileged young men from culturally traditional migrant families. The qualitative study examines the following question: which meaning do the informal physical activities have for the youths with regard to their construction of identity (including gender identity)? Based on semi-structured interviews as well as ethnographic conversations and observations the study investigates the narrative and (unintentional) nonverbal constructions and presentations of identity. Furthermore, the study aims at exploring the structure of this small ‘lifeworld’. Findings show that the 13 interviewed and observed young men, who underachieve in school experience the informal physical activities as a ‘counter world’ to the lifeworld of school; here they have the possibility to experience competence and to generate the relevant symbolic capital „respect“ and „honour“. The possibility of making identity-strengthening experiences is associated with the particular structure of the informal activities; due to that structure, they can determine the purpose of the games autonomously and e.g. resume the role of the trainer. In addition, it is shown that especially the boys from Muslim families use the informal activities to reproduce dominance-oriented models of masculinity and hierarchical gender relations that are common in their families. Therefore, on the one hand, the informal physical activities can be described as a stabiliser of identity but on the other hand, the activities contribute to passing on traditional models of masculinity.