Journal of Advances in Sports and Physical Education (JASPE)
Volume-4 | Issue-05 | 106-124
Original Research Article
CrossFit: A Tool for Developing Social Capital in Post-Violent Conflict Nations?
Vedran Maslic
Published : May 21, 2021
Abstract
More than twenty years since the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a nation divided. Critically deficient in social trust, the country is experiencing an imbalance in the various forms of social capital precluding development of diverse horizontal and vertical relationships. Grassroots organisations, in particular sporting ones, have proven a useful avenue in helping build such relationships by uniting diverse groups over a common point of interest. However, one sport remains hereto explored for this potential—CrossFit. Remedying this deficiency, this project relies on CrossFit Sarajevo as a case study and seeks to explore whether this community has generated social capital and if so, what types. Relying on semi-structured interviews with thirteen of the club’s members, it shows that CrossFit can indeed build high levels of social capital and thereby contribute to development of diverse relationships in post-violence contexts. It also highlights the importance of encouraging behavior conducive to the development of inclusive norms and the need for vigilance against a recurring slide towards imbalance in social capital. Ultimately, these findings suggest further studies of grassroots organisations harboring potential for social capital generation—such as CrossFit clubs—and urge more-robust exploration of their permeability and influence across post-violent conflict societies.