Newcomers’ Perspectives on Acculturation and Identity Exploration Through Community-Based Recreational Sport

Authors

Keywords:

Community-Based Recreational Sport, Acculturation, Youth Identity, Positive Youth Development, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

Abstract

Community-based recreational sport (CBRS) offers newcomer youth meaningful contexts that can support settlement, socialization, and integration into new communities. Ongoing intercultural interactions within CBRS facilitate exposure to diverse cultures and the (re)shaping of identities during adolescence, a critical dimension of positive youth development (PYD). Culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) supports identity development by upholding diverse cultural practices and identities. This study examined newcomer parents’ perspectives on their children’s participation in CBRS to theorize how cultural sustainability and PYD can be fostered through experiences of acculturation and identity exploration within CBRS. A grounded theory approach was used to examine the perspectives of 13 newcomer parents. Data were collected through focus groups and one-on-one interviews and analyzed using initial, focused, and theoretical coding. The findings revealed that newcomer parents perceive CBRS as a space for: (1) opening a new chapter of life, (2) engaging in positive (trans)formation, and (3) fostering social and cultural capital.

Author Biographies

Younghoon Lee, McMaster University

PhD Candidate in the Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

Matthew Kwan, Brock University

Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

Visiting Professor in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia

Daniel Henhawk, University of Manitoba

Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

Kyoung June Yi, McMaster University

Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

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Published

2026-09-29

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2026): Revue phénEPS-PHEnex Journal

Section

Feature Articles / Articles de fond

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