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TH E STATU S OF SPORT
I N R U R AL AN D
REGIONAL AU STRALIA:
LITERATU RE,
RESEARCH AND POLICY
OPTIONS
DR STEPH EN M U GFORD
(QUALITATIV E & QUANTITATIV E SOCIAL RESEARCH)

FOR
SPORTS I N DU STRY AU STRALI A
JAN 2001

TABLE OF CON TEN TS

E xecuti ve Summa ry

PART 1: LEARNING F ROM THE LITERATURE
1: Sport a nd I denti ty: A Revi ew o f the Literature
2: Change in Rura l Communiti es in Australia
PART 2: RESE ARCH
3: The Survey Findi ngs from the Fa rm wide websi te
4: Li nks between the F a rm wi de F i ndi ngs a nd the Literature
5: Response from Spo rti ng Organi satio ns
6: Other Co nsul ta ti o ns a nd a n Overvi ew o f
I ssues Rai sed
PART 3: THEORETICAL RESOURCE S

1

5
6
44
57
58
70
73
81
93

7: The Pa ttern of So cial Change
8: Globali sa tion: The Lexus and The Oli ve Tree
9: Co ncl usi o n: Dra wi ng To gether the Threa ds,
Forming, Poli cy

94
100

10: Bi bliography
11: Appendi x: Vi rtue I n M o dern Li fe,
M cIntyre’s Account

107

103

110

Executive Summary
This report focuses on the current situation of sport in rural and regional Australia. It examines a wide ranging literature on the place of sport in Australian society (Chapter 1) and then reviews literature on current developments in rural and regional Australia (chapter
2). Important findings with regard to the latter are
1. There are numerous factors impacting on life in rural areas and the overall effect of these is to create complex challenges for people living in rural areas;
2. Rural and regional Australia does not exist as a single, meaningful social entity. All that is ‘shared’ by the conglomeration of places described by such a general phrase is an absence—they are not part of the highly urban area where most Australians live; 3. Unless actively assisted from the State or Commonwealth levels, local government is unlikely to have the resources to deal with problems of policy or service delivery in the area of sport

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