Botho - Inspired Social Entrepreneurship in Sport: A Decolonial Intersectional Perspective on Social Entrepreneurship in Sport
Abstract
Botswana is on a mission to reach high-income status by 2036. Therefore, the government has called for inclusive economic growth from all sectors of the economy, including the sport sector. Social entrepreneurship (SE) is recognized as a viable tool for inclusive economic growth as it presents economic opportunities for marginalized populations (particularly African women). The literature shows that SE will be beneficial in Botswana, given its high unemployment rate for women (26%) and the high percentage of female-led households (45%). However, the government’s strategies for growing the sport sector do not mention SE. In this dissertation, a group of Batswana women in sport explore the use of social entrepreneurship in sport (SES) as a strategy for achieving inclusive economic growth in the sport sector.
Institutional work theory and structural violence theory were employed to conceptualize SES for women in Botswana. In accordance with decolonial pedagogies, the research focused on peripheral country contexts or peripherized actor perspectives. These contextualized understandings helped frame the argument for more SES practices for women in Botswana.
The first stage involved an integrative review of SES literature from a peripheral country perspective, which revealed that female voices were not given equal influence in this body of work. Following this, a decolonial intersectional participatory action research and narrative analysis was employed to consider SES in Botswana from the perspectives of women in sport, thus, centering the female voice.
Perceptions of SES for women in Botswana were more nuanced than the examples and definitions provided in Western literature on the topic. As a new contribution to the literature, a vision of women meaningfully contributing to economic growth by partnering with their community and communally self-actualizing through SES, is offered. This study also highlighted how a cycle of structural violence in the sports sector has hindered some women from practicing SES and realizing self-actualization.