Incomplete democratization and signs of individualisation

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate trends and differences in active sports participation and in club membership in Flanders and the Netherlands. In both countries, time-trend data exist on the topic of leisure-time involvement in sports activities. During the previous decade, sports participation rates have increased in Flanders as well as in the Netherlands. On the other hand, in Flanders, the involvement in sports slightly decreased among the younger population, while in the Netherlands little to no growth can be detected (among the young people). With regard to club membership, in Flanders club membership increased in the 1990s, whereas in the Netherlands a reverse trend can be detected. As sports participation differences according to age and gender are generally greater in Flanders than in the Netherlands, it seems that a process of democratization has started earlier in the Netherlands than in Flanders. Still, despite Sports for All policies in both countries, differences in sports participation across educational level and socio-economic status pertain in both countries. Comparison of international data , from Sport England and from the Compass project, show that the Low Countries are not an exception in this regard. Above all, though, the present comparison raises the need for good longitudinal data on sports participation, especially better cross-national research using international standards.