ZwaSpiDe Study
Forced Migration and Elite Sports in Germany: Conditions for Integration from the Perspectives of Athletes and the Sports System (ZwaSpiDe Study)
Project Leadership
- Dr. habil. Enrico Michelini (Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Osnabrück, Principal Investigator)
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Astrid Schubring (Institute of Sociology and Gender Studies at the DSHS Cologne)
Collaborators
- Marvin Babienek, M. Ed. (Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Osnabrück)
- Svea Stahmann (Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Osnabrück)
- Andrea Kößler (Institute of Sociology and Gender Studies at the DSHS Cologne)
Funding Agency
Federal Institute for Sports Science (Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, BISp)
Duration
April 1, 2026 – March 30, 2028
Project Summary
The societal challenges associated with migration and forced displacement continue to demand sustained public and scholarly attention. By the end of 2025 alone, approximately 117.8 million people worldwide were displaced (UN Refugee Agency, 2026). Sport is also affected and often becomes a stage on which feelings of empathy or hostility are displayed. In response to this, the ZwaSpiDe study focuses on athletes with a background of forced migration. It examines the social conditions that influence access to the German elite sport system for athletes with a background of forced migration.
The goal of the project is to develop concrete strategies—in close collaboration between academia and practice—to improve integration and support measures for talented athletes with a background of forced migration.
To answer the research question and develop concrete recommendations for action, the project consists of two sub-studies:
- The Athletes’ Perspective
The first part will examine in more detail the athletic biographies and networks of forcibly migrated athletes participating in track and field, cricket, swimming, and water polo. Interviews, biographical mapping, and network analyses will be used for this purpose.
- The Perspective of the Sport System
The second part focuses on the network-related and structural conditions for the integration of these athletes.
Project process
Call for Participation
