Coordination: Ángeles Saura Pérez and Mónica Sánchez Aranegui (UNESCO Chair in Education for Social Justice, Grupo de Investigación Cambio Educativo para la Justicia Social, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

Coordination: Silvia Castillo (Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile) and Miguel Del Pino (Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile)

Coordination: Adrián Almazán Gómez (Universidad de Deusto) and Carmen Madorrán Ayerra (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

Coordination: Mª Luisa Santos Pastor (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and Enrique Rivera García (Universidad de Granada)

Democratization in the practice of physical activity and sports (PAS) in all social strata, especially in the most depressed ones (socially, economically and culturally), should be one of the main goals of public policies directed towards the general care of our bodies. If practicing PAS is already common in upper and middle class, this is not usually the situation for disadvantaged groups. Therefore, it is important to facilitate the participation in these activities. The goal is that PAS become a daily habit and that the benefits can be sustained over time.

WHO has demonstrated that some of the most successful interventions in relation to PAS improved the opportunities for these activities to be carried out. Cost was very low and the activities took place near the disadvantaged groups usual location. Physical and economic access was promoted and the target group’s cultural and social features were taken into account. In this context, the WHO Regional Office for Europe (in its study about promotion of physical activity in socially disadvantaged groups) points out the circumstances that people in these groups face: socioeconomic context (income, employment, education, socioeconomic status), sociocultural background (gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, migrant status, social capital…), or sociogeographical (such as living in disadvantaged neighborhoods) or those linked to their age.

The success of these programs that promote PAS in disadvantaged groups is based on some clear principles: facilitating access conditions, adaptation to personal and collective needs, facilitating empowerment and participation to achieve real benefits, encouraging and raising awareness about the value of physical activity, offering a transversal and globalizing treatment with an impact in people’s lives and normalizing PAS practice. It must not be forgotten that these programs should be implemented by qualified professionals and should also be assessed and followed up. They should also have institutional support for promoting collaborations, coalitions and sponsorships.

PAS programs for social inclusion usually have this triple approach. They encourage the promotion of PAS in vulnerable groups, using it as an instrument of socialization and proposing designs in which disadvantaged collectives will participate.

This monograph (with a focus on social inclusion of disadvantaged collectives) is presented with the goal of exchanging studies, research and innovation focused on PAS (in its broadest sense), taking into account different application approaches (health and/or education) and different contexts (formal or not formal). The expectations are that the work carried out will allow to reflect on the different dimensions that form Social Justice from PAS (as a resource, as active participation and as the achievement of real inclusion in society for disadvantaged collectives).

From the Research Network for Service-Learning for Social Inclusion (Red de Investigación en Aprendizaje-Servicio para la Inclusión Social –RIADIS–), we would like to thank this journal for the opportunity to make visible the progress that, in this sense, is being made in the field of PAS. It is an excellent opportunity to share new research and theoretical-epistemological approaches focused on developing successful actions to make society fairer and more human.

Research work, essays, practical experiences, innovation studies, reflections, etc. can be submitted. They should focus on the following topics:

• Physical activity and sports for social justiceli>

• • Immigration, inclusion and physical activity
• • Disability, physical activity and sports for social inclusion
• • The vulnerable elderly, physical activity and sports for social inclusion.
• Physical activity and sports for social inclusion of the young at risk.
• School physical education for social inclusion.
• Methodologies in physical education for social inclusion.
• ICT, physical activity and social inclusion.
• Initial training and physical activity for social inclusion.
• Gender, physical activity and social inclusion.
• LGBTI groups, physical activity and social inclusion.

Characteristics

The authors will follow the criteria established in the guide for the authors of the journal.

Calendar

Deadline for submission: November 1st, 2022.

Publishing date: June, 1st, 2023.

Submissions

The texts will be sent by email to the director of the journal, F. Javier Murillo: javier.murillo@uam.es.

It is essential to indicate that said texts are addressed to the thematic section: “Prospects and Progress in Physical Activity and Sports for Social Inclusion”. Likewise, the "Letter of originality, conflict of interest and transfer of copyright" will be attached.

For the evaluation of the articles, the norms established in the journal will be followed.

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