The socio-economic value of sports: Strengthening social capital through football

Abstract

This study aims to: examine the aspect of social capital in sports; examine the contribution of sport in strengthening social capital; examine the use of sport as a place for individual development and also to examine the process of internalization and socialization of social capital on the individual players. It is a descriptive study. The qualitative method is used since the paper describes the social interaction patterns in football. In collecting the data, the researcher has acted as the major research tool. The data collected include: (1) symptoms of social interaction in sports which consist of social contact, communication, and forms of social interaction, (2) the indication of social capital in football, and (3) implications of football to the individual development of the players. The data consists of both the primary and secondary data. Regarding the techniques used in collecting the data, this study uses the review of documents, interviews, and observations. The data obtained, has been analyzed qualitatively. The results show that sport contributes to the strengthening of social capital. It strengthens cooperation and working together, improves social networks, personal qualities as individuals and society. The functions of the football promote features of social capital.