Åse Strandbu

• Richards, Kadija A. & Strandbu, Åse (2026). Navigating dynamics and dilemmas in Southern African sport for development collaborations: Analyses of Global North perspectives on safe sport policy development with a framing and postcolonial lens. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. ISSN 1012-6902. doi: 10.1177/10126902261447609. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Nagel, Siegfried; Fahlen, Josef; Stenling, Cecilia; Schlesinger, Torsten; Elmose-Østerlund, Karsten & Ibsen, Bjarne [Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2026). Willingness of voluntary sports clubs to implement integration programmes – A construction of organisational identity ideal types. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. ISSN 1012-6902. doi: 10.1177/10126902251411555. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Solstad, Bård Erlend; Hordvik, Mats; Strandbu, Åse & Bentzen, Marte (2026). Forcing, pushing, encouraging, or accepting? Parental dilemmas when teenagers seek to disengage from organised youth sport. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2026.2631037. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Before teenagers decide to disengage from organised youth sport, parents often face multiple dilemmas as they navigate their child’s contemplation of disengagement. This study explores parents’ perceptions of ideals and dilemmas inherent in these disengagement situations. Based on focus group interviews with parents of teenagers transitioning from lower- to upper-secondary school in Norway, we employed an abductive approach, integrating theoretical knowledge to inform our interpretation. Our analysis generated three primary themes: (i) The perceived value of sport, where parents generally viewed sport participation as beneficial for fun, social engagement, and a healthy lifestyle, while also acting as a protective factor against potentially unhealthy behaviours; (ii) Dilemmas in interpreting disengagement situations, as parents struggled to discern temporary challenges from genuine, long-term disinterest in sport; and (iii) Dilemmas in parental responses, as parents balanced respecting autonomy with a sense of responsibility to encourage continued engagement, believing in long-term benefits. The data from this study suggest that the parents in this sample navigated disengagement through a distinct two-step process: First, they sought to communicate and collaborate with their children to understand their perspective. Second, they utilised strategies based on that understanding to facilitate continued engagement. These insights illustrate a specific mode of parental involvement and serve as a foundation for future research to examine how these strategies might differ or adapt across diverse socio-economic contexts and more complex disengagement scenarios.

• Johansson, Susanne; Sølvberg, Nina; Strandbu, Åse; Broms, Lovisa & Hedenborg, Susanna (2025). Sexual harassment and abuse in the equine sector. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. ISSN 1012-6902. s. 1–21. doi: 10.1177/10126902251384141. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Sexual harassment and abuse (SHA) are recognized problems in sport contexts, yet little is known about their occurrence in the equine sector. This study examined reported experiences of SHA among participants in the Swedish and Norwegian equine sector. An intersectional framework was applied to analyze the interplay of social characteristics and culturally informed inequalities associated with SHA. A retrospective, cross-sectional survey ( N  = 653) using the Interpersonal Violence Against Children in Sport Questionnaire (IVACS-Q) measured lifetime self-reported experiences of SHA in a self-selected sample, the majority of whom were women. Over half (54.9%) of respondents reported lifetime experiences of SHA in equine environments, including contact and noncontact forms. The vast majority of those reporting SHA were women, often in subordinate roles such as grooms or stable staff, who spent extensive time in equine environments. Reported perpetrators were most often older men in positions of authority linked to equine-centered power, such as riding instructors, stable owners, and horse owners. The findings highlight structural and organizational vulnerabilities in equine culture, where gender, age, and equine-centered power intersect to shape conditions associated with SHA. Therefore, preventing SHA in the equine sector requires context-sensitive, culturally and intersectionally informed safeguarding efforts.

• Espedalen, Lars Erik & Strandbu, Åse (2025). Blind spenders? The social meaning of money in youth sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. ISSN 1012-6902. doi: 10.1177/10126902251393816. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This study explores parents’ views and practices regarding expenses in club-organized youth sport (OYS), inspired by Zelizer's theory of the social meaning of money. Our ambition is twofold: (a) to develop a typology of the meaning of money spent on teenage children's sport participation—from the parents’ point of view, and (b) to examine how the meaning of money (the typology) is anchored in social class and familiarity with sport. Our data material is qualitative interviews with 40 parents of teenagers in organized football and/or cross-country skiing. Through our analyses, we developed a three-fold typology: Blind spending encompasses not knowing the amount spent on their children's sport. The expenses are considered worthwhile irrespective of how much they are. Concerned spending encompasses spending what is considered necessary, but accompanied by some reflections and restrictions on the spending. Painful spending is far from blind and includes struggling to pay expenses. We conclude that the meaning of money in youth sport is both related to class and the available economic resources in the family, as well as the meaning families imbue sport with. Our study contributes to the understanding of social mechanisms behind class differences in sport participation.

• Solstad, Gerd Marie & Strandbu, Åse (2025). Idrettslags håndtering av økonomi som barriere for barn og unges idrettsdeltakelse Etiske dilemmaer når frivillighetsmoral møter profesjonsetikk. I Loland, Sigmund & Sæle, Ove Olsen (Red.), Å løpe en risiko: Etiske refleksjoner om å lede praksis i kroppsøving, idrett og friluftsliv. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245047844. s. 355–378. doi: 10.55669/oa610714. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  I ethvert menneskelig møte står noe etisk på spill. Lærere, trenere og veiledere i profesjonsfag som kroppsøving, friluftsliv og idrettsfag i skolen, eller i friluftsliv og organisert idrett på fritiden, møter stadig krevende etiske spenninger og dilemmaer de må ta stilling til. Denne antologien, med tittelen Å løpe en risiko – etiske refleksjoner om å lede praksis i kroppsøving, idrett og friluftsliv, har en bred faglig profil, der forskere fra ulike høyskoler og universiteter i Norge bidrar med sine perspektiver. Det finnes få publikasjoner i Norge som tar opp etiske refleksjoner knyttet til ledelse i disse praksisfeltene, selv om tematikken er svært aktuell. Det er fjorten kapitler i antologien med ulike tematiske vinklinger. De samler seg rundt tre hovedoverskrifter: verdibasert ledelse, kroppsyn og inkludering. I første del, «Å våge verdibasert ledelse», diskuteres sirkusbarn i tidligere norsk idrettshistorie, fotball og bærekraftsprinsipper i kroppsøvingsfaget, samt etiske dilemmaer blant idrettstrenere. I andre del, «Å våge å stole på kroppen», belyses etiske utfordringer knyttet til bruk av kroppsnær teknologi i trening, kroppsbildeproblematikk i kroppsøvingsfaget og verdien av pedagogisk tilrettelagt risiko i friluftslivet. I siste del, «Å våge å inkludere alle», drøfter forfatterne transkjønnede elevers erfaringer i kroppsøvingsfaget, bruk av crossfit-inspirerte aktiviteter i skolen, likhetsprinsippet i organisert idrett, rollekonflikter i ungdomsidrett og idrettslags håndtering av økonomi som barriere for idrettsdeltakelse. Kapittelbidragene har sitt utgangspunkt i ulike fag- og forskningsområder. Noen kapitler har en teoretisk orientering, mens andre bygger på empiriske undersøkelser. Antologiens målgruppe er studenter i høyere utdanning, fagkolleger og forskere på området.

• Stefansen, Kari & Strandbu, Åse (2025). Social Closure in the Youth Sport Field: The Pull of the Game on Class-Privileged Parents. Sociology. ISSN 0038-0385. doi: 10.1177/00380385251344488. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Skilbred, Anette; Strandbu, Åse & Loland, Sigmund (2024). Youth athletes’ framing of nutritional supplements: Performance enhancement and food. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. ISSN 1012-6902. 60(1), s. 45–63. doi: 10.1177/10126902241260923. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Prior studies have revealed how some nutritional supplements used to enhance performance in sports are considered problematic because they are associated with doping. In this study, frame analysis is applied to scrutinise interviews conducted with 24 ambitious youth athletes enrolled in elite sport schools. The analysis enables exploration of the athletes’ understanding and meaning-making concerning the so-called grey zone supplements in terms of two major frames. The first performance frame is expected as the context is elite youth sport, and many aspects of the athletes’ lives revolve around athletic progress. However, the more interesting finding is that this performance frame permeates almost all aspects of the young athletes’ lives, including how food is both understood and consumed. The second frame implies the framing of nutritional supplements as food. Here, the use of supplements is rationalised by practical concerns such as hectic training and teaching schedules that leave little time for meals, with supplements becoming a quick fix to meet energy needs. Hence, meaning-making concerning the grey zone supplements gives rise to an alternative framing linked to food and eating, although an overarching logic of performance also exerts a significant impact.

• Skilbred, Anette; Loland, Sigmund & Strandbu, Åse (2024). Young networked athletes and performance-enhancing substances: who are the actors in their network, and how do the actors shape athletes’ meaning-making? European Journal for Sport and Society (EJSS). ISSN 1613-8171. 21(4), s. 317–336. doi: 10.1080/16138171.2024.2335578. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ambitious youth athletes continually strive to enhance their performance, and as they age, more people are involved in this process. Athletes are immersed in a network of actors who wield significant influence over their performance-enhancing endeavours, encompassing training, nutrition, and at times, the use of various performance-enhancing substances. Our study predominantly revolves around various permitted substances, primarily in the form of nutritional supplements of various kinds. Also relevant in this regard is anti-doping, as knowledge of and a critical attitude towards supplements are a central part in this preventative educational work. More specifically, in this study, we explore the actors that contribute to young athletes meaning-making of nutritional supplements and anti-doping and examine how the young athletes describe these actors’ contribution. Twenty-four athletes from private elite upper secondary sport schools (PEUSS) in Norway were interviewed, with a semi-structured approach to facilitate the various tales. Our analysis revealed seven actors/actor groups in athletes’ network. The actors/actor groups were diverse and contributed to athletes meaning-making in different ways. We argue that the diversity of actors illustrates the relevance of the networked athlete concept and that the concept should be further developed by interactionist perspectives.

• Agergaard, Sine; Redelius, Karin & Strandbu, Åse (2024). Children’s Rights to and in Sport: A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Policies in the Scandinavian Countries. Social Sciences. 13(4). doi: 10.3390/socsci13040216. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  It has long been stated that children have the rights to protection from, e.g., abuse and to the provision of age-appropriate leisure, play, and recreational activities along with participation in all matters that concerns them. Yet, the full range of children’s rights to and in sport has not yet been explored in detail. To do so, it is relevant to turn to the Scandinavian countries, which are praised for promoting children’s rights and well-being, with organized sport forming part of the daily lives of many children and youths. In this paper, we examine the organizational policies in Scandinavian sport in order to develop foundational knowledge about how the range of children’s rights to and in sport may be supported. Comparing key policy documents of the major sports confederations in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, these analyses identify great variety in the following: 1. when and how children’s rights to and in sport have been made explicit in the three countries; 2. whether the emphasis is on protection and/or provision of sport to children and youths or their participation in shaping sporting activities; 3. the degree to and ways in which such rights are regulated. In sum, our findings reflect a disparity between organizational policies in the three countries, with a more liberal and individualistic approach to public policy in the Danish context, providing some explanation of the only recent development in and scattered enaction of regulations to support children’s rights to and in sports. Furthermore, we identify that political attention has mainly been drawn to the protection and provision of sports to children and youths, while their participation in shaping sport is a shared challenge for sport confederations in the Scandinavian countries and beyond.

• Skilbred, Anette; Strandbu, Åse & Loland, Sigmund (2024). Performing performance: young aspiring athletes’ presentation of athletic identity. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 6. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1383559. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Youths are in the process of figuring out answers to the question “who am I?” and young athletes are searching for athletic identity in interaction with their friends, teammates, coaches, and so on. This study explores athletes' presentations of athletic identity based on 24 interviews with ambitious young athletes attending upper secondary sport schools. Anchored in Goffman's theory of the self and the presentation of the self, as well as Markus and Nurius' concept of possible selves, the study views identity as socially constructed in interaction. Utilising this theoretical perspective alongside thematic analysis resulted in four themes that reveal characteristics that are deemed central in an athletic identity. First, the theme I am a dutiful athlete constitutes integral facets of the athletes' self-presentation as committed and diligent individuals. The interviews also bring to light variations in the athletes' attitudes and approaches towards these expectations and concepts. The remaining three themes: I must be unique, We must be unique, and I must have fun, illustrate how being a performing athlete extends beyond duties tied to training, resting, and eating. While the findings suggest the existence of certain dominant and desirable characteristics in an athletic identity, they also highlight variations in identities, emphasising negotiation and flexibility in handling the athlete role.

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• Strandbu, Åse & Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth (2026). When children entered sports: The making of and discussions of Regulations on child sport and Children’s rights in sport in Norwegian sport. Idrottsforum.org - Nordic Sport Studies Forum. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Strandbu, Åse & Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth (2026). Da barna inntok idretten. Etablering av og diskusjoner om Bestemmelser om barneidrett og Idrettens barnerettigheter i norsk idrett. Idrottsforum.org - Nordic Sport Studies Forum. doi: https:/idrottsforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/strandbu-sogn260209.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Stefansen, Kari & Strandbu, Åse (2025). Da "overskuddsfamiliene" tok over norsk langrenn. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Skilbred, Anette; Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth; Røe, Lene & Strandbu, Åse (2024). 10 år med forskning på barne- og ungdomsidrett. Kunnskapsoversikt 2014 – 2024. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Agergaard, Sine; Redelius, Karin; Strandbu, Åse & Kilger, Magnus (2024). Rights-based Youth Sport: An Overlooked Area of Importance for Youth Studies. Young - Nordic Journal of Youth Research. ISSN 1103-3088. 32(4), s. 353–359. doi: 10.1177/11033088241262877. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth; Espedalen, Lars Erik; Merødningen, Kristian Magnetun; Skjeldal, Gudmund & Strandbu, Åse (2026). Barn og unge i sentrum. En kunnskapssammenstilling om rettigheter, utfordringer og muligheter i den organiserte barne- og ungdomsidretten. Norges idrettshøgskole. doi: https:/www.idrettsforbundet.no/contentassets/ff754128875f4106b19a863326019d4c/rapport-1_2026-kunnskapssammenstilling---barn-og-unge-i-sentrum.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Heian, Mari Torvik; Strandbu, Åse; Berge, Ola Kveseth; Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth & Haugsevje, Åsne Dahl (2025). Trygge arenaer? Skeives erfaringer i idretten. Telemarksforsking. ISSN 9788233607654. doi: https:/cms.bufdir.no/siteassets/rapporter/lhbt/Trygge_arenaer_skeives_erfaringer_i_idretten_revidert.pdf. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Strandbu, Åse & Bakken, Anders (2024). Barna og idretten. Organisering, verdier og sosial ulikhet. Norges idrettshøgskole. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Denne rapporten handler om idrettens plass i barns liv. I rapportens første del går vi gjennom hvordan barns idrettsaktivitet og organisatoriske rammer for barns idrettsdeltakelse har endret seg historisk. Vi gir også en oversikt over nyere norsk forskning om barns idrettsliv. I den andre delen undersøker vi noen sider ved norske 10 til 12-åringers treningsvaner og idrettsliv gjennom analyser av et stort spørreskjemamateriale – Ungdata junior. Vi er mest opptatt av om idealet om idrett for alle er realisert i norsk barneidrett – eller om noen grupper er systematisk underrepresentert. Vi undersøker også om det er noen sammenhenger mellom idrettsdeltakelse og andre sider ved barns liv. Problemstillingene i rapporten er:<p> <ol> <li> Hva vet vi fra tidligere forskning om barns treningsvaner og idrettsaktivitet?</li> <li> Hvor ofte trener 10-12-åringer? Hvem er de som driver med regelmessig trening? Er det store forskjeller mellom gutter og jenter, mellom barn fra ulike sosioøkonomiske grupper og mellom barn i storbyer, byer, og på landsbygda? </li> <li>Skiller barn som driver fast med idrett seg fra andre barn når det gjelder deltakelse i andre faste fritidsaktiviteter, vennskapsrelasjoner og generell trivsel?</li> </ol>

• Sogn, Hanne Elisabeth; Strandbu, Åse; Aune, Lotte Stang & Sølvberg, Nina (2024). Trygg på trening med Redd Barna: Sluttrapport fra et følgeforskningsprosjekt. Norges idrettshøgskole. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv

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