Sport and social class: The case of Finland

Abstract

Sports have often been neglected in the research on taste and cultural consumption. This article investigates lifestyle choices in the area of sports, with particular focus on the differences that can be drawn from occupational class and other background variables. Based on nationally representative survey data from Finland, participation in sports and sports spectatorship are examined. The main findings suggest that there are divisions between the occupational classes in the involvement in sports, but also in the involvement in individual sporting activities. However, the differences are less clear in sports spectatorship. The findings are somewhat at odds with recent research from different countries suggesting that education and income are important in explaining the differences, although occupational class also counts.