Moving Toward Understanding Social Justice in Sport Organizations: A Study of Engagement in Social Justice Advocacy in Sport Organizations

Abstract

This study examines the factors that can be associated with social justice advocacy in the field of sport and explains why the activists get involved in the social justice advocacy. The authors implemented a phenomenological research approach, interviewing 12 active social justice activists. In drawing from Moeschberger et al.’s model for awareness and engagement, the authors suggest a congruent definition of social justice advocacy, explain how the participants learned about social injustice ( direct experience, indirect experience, and indirect contact), identify three major themes ( increased awareness, atypical experience, and emotional response) for the involvement in social justice advocacy, and describe what activities the participants get engaged in ( raising awareness and changing attitude, engaging in activity, and encouraging others). The results of this study provide more in-depth understanding of social justice advocacy in the field of sport.