In this chapter we interpret cultural forms such as sport as a critical aspect or space in the politics of belonging and identity formation (Werbner, 1996; Bradbury, 2011; Burdsey, 2006, 2008; Joseph, 2011; Spaaij, 2012a, 2015). These processes and practices do not occur in a social vacuum; rather, they are enacted within and through different spaces. We will focus specifically on the lived experiences of Australian and Dutch Somalis in relation to community-based sports clubs and events in order to address two questions: What kinds of belonging are constructed by Australian and Dutch Somalis in community-based sport? What social processes facilitate or impede these belongings? In this chapter we extend our previous research that focused specifically on the Australian context (Spaaij, 2011, 2012a, 2013, 2015) by offering a more comparative and multi-sited perspective on these questions. In the next section we first discuss the concept of belonging and then follow that with an overview of the ethnographic research that underpins our analysis.
This book chapter was publised in Places of Privildge: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Identities, Change and Resistance. Edited by Nicole Oke, Christopher Sonn and Alison Baker.