The Intersection of Social Problems and Sports: Addressing Poverty, Illiteracy, and Unemployment Through Sports

Abstract

Background: Sport is becoming more widely acknowledged as complex social phenomena that go beyond pleasure and physical activity. Around the world, academics and decision-makers have positioned sport as a social development instrument that can tackle difficult problems like unemployment, educational inequalities and poverty

Objectives: Main objective of this research is to determine the intersection of social problems and sports: addressing poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment through sports

Methods and Material: The participants for this study were 200 athletes from the University of the Punjab and University of Education. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed, involving 200 university athletes (both male and female, representing diverse sports, demographical backgrounds, and experiences) recruited through a convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online Google Forms questionnaire consisting of five distinct instruments, each utilizing a 5-point Likert-type scale (ranging from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree"). The data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version-26).

Results: Result showed that there is a significance difference on the basis of their demographics was observed.

Conclusion: Social issues can be addressed through sport, but its effects are conditional. Sports are most effective at reducing poverty when they are connected to programs that promote economic development. It plays a significant but indirect role in literacy through school participation. Sport can help those who are unemployed find work, especially if they combine it with official training and certificates.