New modes of governance in local PE, school and community sport? Findings from case studies of three local authority areas

Lindsey, Iain (2008) New modes of governance in local PE, school and community sport? Findings from case studies of three local authority areas. PSA Sport and Politics Specialist Study Group: 2nd Annual Conference, Liverpool, UK. 15 Feb 2008.

Abstract

Although it is widely recognised that there have been significant changes to the ‘institutional framework’ of British government (Skelcher, 2000), there is some disagreement as to whether new modes of governance have emerged and become predominant. Some authors, such as Rhodes (1999), identify a shift towards networked modes of governance, whilst others, such as Ranade & Hudson (1998), suggest that such chronological accounts represent an oversimplification and that networks coexist along hierarchical and market modes of governance. Questions regarding modes of governance are particularly pertinent to PE and sport given its current salience to government and the resulting impetus to develop new partnerships and inter-agency collaboration. Using interview data from key stakeholders in PE, school and community sport in case studies of three urban local authority areas in England, the paper will examine to what extent ‘new’ networked forms of governance are prevalent. Findings from these case studies will be used to compare the types of governance relationships that exist in different contexts. As a result, the paper will suggest that new modes of governance are not universally present in local PE, school and community sport. The paper will then conclude by considering the implications of these findings for future policy and research approaches to governance in sport and local authority contexts.

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