مدل تبیین موانع و پیشران­های توسعۀ اجتماعی در برنامه­های سازمان­های ورزش برای توسعه و صلح (SDP)

Background and Purpose
One of the core principles of Olympism and the objectives enshrined in the Olympic Charter is to place sport at the service of balanced human development, aiming to foster a peaceful society grounded in the preservation of human dignity. Sport functions as a powerful educational tool that not only promotes cognitive development but also strengthens social cohesion by teaching and reinforcing positive social behaviors. This dual role of sport—as both an educational medium and a social integrator—is widely recognized in international frameworks such as the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) initiatives on Development through Sport. Beyond its educational and social functions, sport has the capacity to address emerging global social and economic demands, offering a strategic platform for investment that can ensure sustainable social and economic progress over the long term (Di Palma, Tafuri, Ascione, & Raiola, 2018).
Purposeful and intelligent utilization of sport can drive positive changes in public health and socialization across all age groups. This is particularly relevant through the social inclusion of marginalized populations, economic and social empowerment of disadvantaged communities, and the expansion of intercultural relations and conflict resolution. Collectively, these outcomes define sustainable development through sport (Ghorbani, Safari Jafarloo, & Esmaeili, 2020). These themes, along with other social variables that act as connective tissue within local communities, underpin the broader concept of social development. Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) organizations and policy frameworks exemplify how sport can be leveraged to achieve sustainable development goals (Hylton & Bramham, 2008).
Despite this recognition, the mechanisms through which social development is realized via sport, as well as the barriers and facilitators encountered by sports organizations dedicated to development and peace, remain underexplored, particularly in local contexts. This study aimed to elucidate the obstacles and drivers influencing the dimensions of social development through sport. Specifically, it sought to answer how social development is realized via sport and to identify the barriers and facilitators within the programs of sports organizations dedicated to development and peace.
 
Materials and Methods
This research employed an exploratory, interpretive paradigm with an inductive approach to advance understanding of social development through sport. The methodology was grounded in the classical grounded theory approach (Glaserian), which prioritizes the description and explanation of phenomena without imposing preconceived theoretical frameworks. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously through in-depth interviews, detailed note-taking, annotation, open and selective coding, and iterative theory development.
Participants included a purposive, criteria-based sample of nineteen experts drawn from diverse but relevant fields. These included university professors specializing in sports sciences, social and behavioral sciences, economics, and development studies. Additionally, specialists from the UNESCO National Commission of Iran, experts from the National Olympic Committee, and senior managers from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, and Ministry of Sports and Youth were included. All participants possessed substantial expertise in development issues, particularly social development through sport, ensuring rich and authoritative data.
The data collection process involved semi-structured interviews that allowed participants to share their experiences, perceptions, and insights regarding the role of sport in social development, the challenges faced, and the enabling factors. The iterative coding process enabled the emergence of a grounded theory that captures the complex interplay of factors shaping social development through sport.
 
Findings
The resulting grounded theory posits that the strategies employed by sports organizations for development and peace yield social development when these organizations implement planned socio-sportive changes. However, such changes encounter significant obstacles that must be addressed to optimize impact.
Social development through sport manifests across seven interconnected domains. These are collective social responsibility, sustainable peace, planned social-sport interventions, improved quality of social communication, equality and justice, social integration and cohesion, and individual and collective well-being. Each domain reflects a vital aspect of how sport contributes to the social fabric and the holistic development of communities.
The study identified twelve key obstacles that impede the realization of social development through sport. These include resource limitations, skepticism toward sport as a development tool, inter-organizational conflict, knowledge gaps, planning errors, management challenges, legal and executive issues, gender discrimination, political and socio-cultural barriers, and economic problems at both national and regional levels. These barriers operate at multiple levels and interact dynamically, often compounding each other and limiting the effectiveness of SDP programs.
Conversely, the main drivers facilitating social development through sport were identified as merit-based selection, networking, strategic planning, shared leadership, process streamlining, awareness and training, culture-building, reengineering, and institutional support. These drivers enhance the capacity of sports organizations to design and implement impactful programs, foster collaboration, and sustain positive social change.
The interaction between these obstacles and drivers is complex and dynamic. Barriers tend to diminish both the quantity and quality of organizational initiatives, while drivers enhance program outcomes and facilitate the realization of social development through sport. The balance between these forces determines the overall effectiveness of SDP efforts.
 
Conclusion
Sports events and programs should actively contribute to social and civic development. Social capital not only supports the growth of sport but is also reinforced by widespread societal engagement in sport, strengthening facets of social capital such as harmony, solidarity, resilience, civic participation, and trust. These factors collectively reflect the social and psychological health of a society.
Herasimovich and Alzua-Sorzabal (2021) describe sport for development and peace as a domain where sport—including non-competitive physical activities—serves broader social and peacebuilding goals. This study underscores the importance of strategic planning and ecosystem-wide cooperation in advancing social development through sport.
Regular, functionally oriented organizational approaches and comprehensive stakeholder collaboration are essential for progress. This requires commitment from governmental bodies, sports organizations, educational institutions, civil society, and international partners to create enabling environments for sport to fulfill its social development potential.
 Acknowledgments
We extend our sincere gratitude to the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran for their material and moral support of this research.