The Role of Sports in Shaping Social Capital and Mobility in Urban Pakistan

Abstract

Background and Study Aim
In urban Pakistan, sport and fitness have emerged as significant social signifiers that determine class formation and lifestyle posture. However, there has been little empirical work on how participation in these activities affects social mobility. This article explores the links between sports/fitness participation, social capital and perceived upward mobility in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad with reference to Bourdieu’s framework of cultural capital.

Material and Methods
Cross-sectional study design was used. The sample, recruited from the universities, gyms and recreational clubs through stratified sampling by lots targeted individuals between 18 -40 years of age were invited to participate. All were eligible because they had participated in sports or fitness activities three times a week. Online and paper questionnaires were collected from March to July 2025. Standardised measures included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, WHO-5 Well-being Index and modified scales of mobility aspirations. Descriptive statistics of samples and chi-square, ANOVA and multivariate regression were utilized to compare data.

Results
Findings revealed significant associations between education, income, and fitness participation. The education level (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), gym membership (β = 0.28, p < 0.01), and frequency of participation (β = 0.22, p < 0.01) were strong explanatory variables for self-reported upward mobility in the regression models. Participation in organized exercise predicted higher levels of self-esteem, community integration, and social cohesion. But it was only accessible to the poor through iron gates of affordability and gender norms.

Conclusion
Sports and physical exercise in Urban Pakistan beyond health acts as mechanisms of negotiation of class boundaries, boosting the social capital. Education, attendance to the gym and frequency of activity greatly influence perceived mobility. In the policy framework, goal-oriented infrastructure and equal opportunity is crucial so that fitness culture can be a part of wide-alternating social equity.