Sport, Recreation, Health Action and Urban Policy: An Undergraduate Learning Programme
| DOI | 10.1177/014473949801800203 |
| Author | Brian D. Jacobs |
| Date | 01 September 1998 |
| Published date | 01 September 1998 |
Teaching Public Administration, Autumn 1998,
Vol.
XVIII,
Vol.
2,
pp
31-44
SPORT, RECREATION, HEALTH ACTION AND URBAN
POLICY:
AN
UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING PROGRAMME
BRIAN D. JACOBS
Staffordshire University
This article describes a level three (final year) ten credit undergraduate
module currently presented at Staffordshire University in the School
of
Humanities and Social Sciences. The module addresses important policy-
related themes concerning sport, recreation and urban policy in Britain.
Its aim is to examine contemporary policy issues and controversies
taking account
of
the roles
of
public, private and voluntary organisations.
In
particular, it concerns the needs
of
local people, mainly
in
disadvantaged communities, who participate in urban sport and
recreation programmes and Health Action Zones. Students view sport
and recreation and local health policy within the context
of
the
restructuring
of
Britain's urban economies and communities.
The module is very popular with students who take a range
of
sport-
related single and combined Honours awards at Staffordshire University.
One reason for its popularity is that the module deals with issues that are
of
direct concern
to
communities. Students learn about current issues and
controversies affecting the communities and this is particularly relevant
because many
of
them subsequently embark on careers in local authority
leisure services departments, sport education, and sport development and
business. Staffordshire University's Stoke-on-Trent campus is adjacent
to
one
of
the
city's
most run-down districts in Shelton, and students can
therefore daily witness urban problems at close range. The
neighbourhood has its share
of
crime and vandalism and also suffers
from a general lack
of
community sport and recreation provisions. Local
people can use the excellent sport facilities at the University where there
is a large sports centre, floodlit surfaces and playing fields. However,
many local people do not make use
of
these facilities.
Both the government and the private sector increasingly regard sport,
recreation and health as important to urban regeneration and to the
pursuit
of
the government's Our Healthier Nation agenda (Department
of
31
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