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Research News
Sport, Muslim Identities and Cultures in the UK: Case
studies of Leicester and Birmingham - research grant
from the British Academy
In its bid to stage the 2012 Olympics, London made great play of
its multicultural makeup as a context for welcoming the world’s
athletes. The communities in East London certainly reflect cultural
diversity. This project is thus a part of a wider research programme
aimed at exploring the links between ethno-religious groups, ways
of life and Western sport.
The focus of this particular research project is an evaluation
of how Muslims in two specific local contexts, in the UK (Leicester
in the East Midlands; Birmingham in the West Midlands) make sense
of the relationship between their socio-religious identities and
sporting interests. Leicester in the East Midlands and Birmingham
in the West Midlands have been selected because they represent respectively
one of the most ethnically diverse areas in Britain and a domicile
of the third of the Muslim population in Britain according to (ONS)
2002 census figures. The study will investigate the place of male
and female sport within Muslim communities in Leicester and Birmingham
by reference to the perspectives of individuals and religious leaders.
The project will provide a basis for developing methods and approaches
to be employed in East London, specifically in relation to cultural
engagement with Olympic sport by Muslim communities.
Finally, the project will seek to foster the establishment of an
academic network engaged in research on Muslim ways of life in contemporary
Britain.
For information on this project please contact the Project Director,
Dr Mahfoud Amara at: M.Amara@lboro.ac.uk
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