Chapter 2. Ethnic participation in Dutch amateur football clubs 25 individuals are ranked lower than Surinamese and Antilleans with regards to experiencing discrimination. Consequently, in a club sport dominated by ethnically Dutch members, we might find club cultures which primarily revolve around the ethnic Dutch group and are potentially less accommodating or sometimes even hostile towards minorities (see for example Van Slobbe, Vermeulen & Koster, 2013) positioned lower in the hierarchy. If this is the case, I would expect that: E3: Participation of predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in amateur football will be relatively low. E4: Participation of citizens with a postcolonial background, dark skin or Middle and Eastern European background in voluntary sports football clubs will be lower than ethnically Dutch, but higher than predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. Ethnic subcultures: ethnic differences in preferences and tastes While the previous two explanations from a marginality perspective focused on exclusionary processes which could affect ethnic participation in sport, it would be naive to assume that ethnic groups all show an equal interest in participating in sports in general, or certain sports in particular. Key to the subcultural perspective is that ethnic groups may differ in their socialization and the cultural value, tastes and behaviours they acquire and demonstrate. Consequently, ethnic differences in sports participation may occur as a result of diverging preferences. Firstly, the family unit is likely to be an important instigator of this process. Not only are families considered to be a crucial agent in the sport socialization of young individuals with long lasting effects (Kay, 2004; Birchwood, Roberts & Pollock, 2008; Wheeler, 2012), but it is also seen as a key driver behind ethnic segregation of social networks due to its highly ethnic homogeneous composition (McPherson, Smith-Lovin & Cook, 2001). Because football is not as popular and developed as a recreational sport in every part of the world, ethnic groups will likely vary substantially in the amount to which they can draw on family members’ experiences and are socialized by them. As such, it seems reasonable to expect that ethnic groups with backgrounds from countries in which amateur football is relatively underdeveloped are less likely to be interested to participate in an amateur football club, resulting in lower participation rates.
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