History of Sport, Government and Golf in New Zealand
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THE POLITICS OF SPORT FUNDING: AN ANALYSIS OF DISCOURSES IN NEW ZEALAND GOLF A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS at The University of Waikato by TIDAVADEE TONGDETHSRI 2015 i Abstract In recent decades, the level of government intervention in sport has increased, involving greater resource allocations to community sport development, high performance sport and business capability initiatives. Within this context, sports organisations have faced increasing expectations around financial accountability and the need to provide professional governance and management. Increasing government intervention in sport has, however, not been matched by a growth in research, particularly into the way government involvement both reflects and contributes to changing understandings of the nature of sport and related changes to sports organisation that affect people’s opportunities to participate. This thesis seeks to address this gap by carrying out a critical analysis of the politics of sports policy in New Zealand, with a specific focus on golf. The research specifically aims to understand the nature of sport as understood by key stakeholders in sports policy; explore the discourses and underlying values that underpin investment into the golf sector; examine the wider implications of the discourses on sport funding decisions; and uncover the hidden politics of sport funding. It does so by adopting critical discourse analysis approach that recognises the discursive context within which sports policy and organisation are constructed. In this instance, the critical discourse analysis approach attempts to capture the underlying ways of seeing, explaining and understanding the sports policy context, and the way that these understandings influence the relationships between the government, voluntary and corporate institutions that are involved. The research explores the way dominant discourses shape the understanding of sport, and specifically golf, by these stakeholders and how these influence the priorities of sports organisations. The study reveals the way the discourses shaping the direction of national sports policy privilege a business approach, which position sport as a means to economic development, although alongside this are discourses that emphasise the value of sport as a means to social inclusion and health and wellbeing. ii The study recommends further research that include a comparative analysis of the findings in NZG with other nations that have both established sports policies and golf governing systems (e.g. the United States or the United Kingdom) with a greater focus at the grassroots level. iii Acknowledgements The last two years have been an unexpected adventure and it was not without the support of the wonderful people that have been part of this journey. I would like to acknowledge the financial contribution of the University of Waikato and the Sir Edmund Hillary Programme Executive Group gained through the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship. To my supervisors, Dr Patrick Barrett and Professor Priya Kurian, I would like to express my gratitude for your patience in guiding me through the process. Particular thanks go to Patrick for helping me start this topic with this methodology after six long months of changing topics and theoretical frameworks. I truly appreciate your advice and encouragement. To Priya, thank you for your wisdom and guidance. It has been wonderful to have you as my supervisor. Without the dedication, patience and expertise of my supervisors, this work would not have been as fulfilling. Notwithstanding hours of independent research, I have been blessed with the support of friends, particularly Megan who has been an incredible inspiration and motivation. Despite having her own thesis to complete, she has always given her time to give advice or to simply be of company. I congratulate her on her excellent achievement on her thesis. With anything, the support of family is the upmost importance. From the early stages, even before I embarked on a university degree, I am grateful for the support of my extended family, particularly my grandparents and my uncle, Professor Ian Williamson and his family. Without your guidance, advice and support, this would not have been possible. Lastly, my gratitude and love go to my mother and sister. They have been through this entire journey and have shared all the moments with me. Without you both, this would not have been possible. iv Preface As an elite amateur golfer, I have a personal interest in the way that golf is governed and managed in New Zealand. Having been through the golf system from an entry level to the international level, I have a greater understanding and respect for the way that golf is valued by people across the golfing community. I find myself immersed in a variety of ways in golf: as a form of enjoyment, as a way of life, as an ongoing challenge and as the means to a financial career. Perhaps as a consequence of this, I find myself questioning the nature of the sport and the role that different people have in shaping the sport today. Importantly, attached to the idea of the elite amateur or the professional golfer is the notion of financial security. I find myself wondering about the reasons for the financial investment in golfers like myself. How could we be seen as something of value to people in the golf community? Why would people invest in golf in general? How do sports organisations prioritise their investment, and to what benefit for the affiliated clubs and members? These initial questions spurred my interest in locating my thesis research on the financial investment in the golf sector. Being a student of political science and public policy helped me place this study within a political context that uses a discourse analysis framework. v Table of Contents Abstract ....................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................... iv Preface ...................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ....................................................................................... vi List of Figures and Tables .......................................................................... ix Figures ................................................................................................... ix Tables .................................................................................................... ix List of Abbreviations ................................................................................... x Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................... 1 Background: Sport and Policy ................................................................ 2 Discourse and Sport Policy .................................................................... 4 Rationale and Research Questions ........................................................ 4 Outline of Thesis .................................................................................... 6 Chapter Two: History of Sport, Government and Golf in New Zealand ...... 8 History of Sport and Government in New Zealand ................................. 8 Sport, golf and government in New Zealand ..................................... 10 History and Traditions of Golf in New Zealand ..................................... 11 Chapter Summary ................................................................................ 19 Chapter Three: Research Methodology ................................................... 20 Discourse Analysis ............................................................................... 20 Critical Discourse Analysis ................................................................... 22 Research Methods ............................................................................... 27 Document analysis ........................................................................... 28 Semi-structured interviews ................................................................ 28 Stakeholder analysis ......................................................................... 30 Ethical considerations ....................................................................... 32 vi Chapter Four: Discourses in Sports Policy .............................................. 37 ‘Sport as Business’ Discourse .............................................................. 37 ‘Sport as Economic Development’ Discourse ....................................... 42 ‘Sport as Health and Wellbeing’ Discourse .......................................... 46 ‘Sport