Barriers to user groups (ethnic minorities) GapFill

An ethnic minority is an  immenseover-representedunderrepresentedindividual group in society whose people share a common religion, culture or  hobbyinterestgoalnationality. Although the share of the total population of ethnic minorities is increasing, they remain very much at a minority. For example, the 2019/20 Active Lives survey shows that compared to mixed ethnicities there are 11% fewer Chinese people and 15% fewer black people meeting the 150+ minutes per week physical activity guidelines. As such, they face many unique barriers to participation in sport.

There is significant inequality in the  time costsactivity outgoingsindirect incomedisposable income – the amount of money available for saving or spending – of different ethnic groups in the UK. In 2019 the Department for Work and Pensions stated that 76% of Pakistani households were in the lowest income group (after housing costs were deducted) and over half of households from Bangladeshi, Asian other, black and other ethnic groups were in the lowest two income groups. With a lack of available money after the deduction of essential living costs, many ethnic minorities may not be able to afford participation in some sport and physical activity. They may not have money available to pay for  subsinterestsalariesattention to cover the cost of training kit, equipment, venue hire and affiliate fees to leagues. Additionally, they may not be able to afford gym or fitness club membership  discountsfeesfinesprofits.

Furthermore, some ethnic minorities are at a heightened risk of feeling segregated from the rest of the local community or may face communication barriers. This means that they may not have an idea of the types of activity that are currently  availableoff limitsappropriatepopular in their local communities, thus preventing them from getting involved. In addition, certain activities which are more popular with some ethnic groups than with others (e.g. dance with black Africans and racquet sports with Chinese people) may not be available in the area, which may discourage participation.

Ethnic minorities have historically been subjected to  discriminationfriendlinesstoleranceinclusion in society. Despite there being significant improvements in eradicating it, a sense of it may still persist, and this would present a perceived barrier to participation in sport. A lot of religions and cultures may also require further commitments to prayer, rituals and events, e.g. Ramadan, or have more traditional views, e.g. the role of women as caregivers. This can reduce the amount of free  provisiontimegroupsschool dinners available for participating in sport and physical activity. Some religious groups will also have certain traditions, such as Muslim women wearing the hijab and not being free to mix with men when they are not married. This can prevent them from accessing mixed-group sessions and certain sports.

The reason a lot of people become involved in sport is through associating themselves with significant others known as  role playersrule modelssports advocatesrole models. These may come in the form of teachers, coaches or professional sportspeople. If there is a lack of  ethnic diversitypersonalitymotivationauthority in significant others, then people from an ethnic minority may be lacking the necessary inspiration to participate in that sport.