Youth Sport Education and Development in Hong Kong: A Conflict Model Social Impact Assessment

Abstract

The paper employs the conflict model of social theory to assess the social impact of the Easy Sport youth modified sport education programme upon the attitudes to sport of its student and parent clients. In doing so it exemplifies the latent and manifest tensions within the Hong Kong youth sport development system and the senior sport system as a whole. The study initially assesses the appropriateness of the conflict model as a template for the analysis. The service delivery of sport in Hong Kong; the value system, lifestyle and attitude to sport of the Hong Kong family; and characteristics and needs of youth sport education and development both generally and within Hong Kong are then analysed from the conflict paradigm perspective. An analysis of the impact of EasySport upon the attitudes to sport of the participating youth and their families is then effected facilitating the identification of dissonance within the youth sport delivery system. Conclusions regarding this impact and the conflict paradigm perspective of youth sport system dissonance are drawn and a rationale proposed for the modification of the programme with the aim of developing a more efficient fit between Chinese youth and their families' sport needs, the programme's objectives and mass sport in general in Hong Kong.