Identifying the Contexts of Social Participation in Sport for all in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Background & Objective: In recent decades, social participation has been considered one of the development indicators in the framework of institutionalization of activities of individuals. The aim of this study was to identify the contexts of social participation in sport for all in Iran. Participants & Methods: Considering the exploratory nature of the subject, the method of qualitative research and the strategy of the grounded theory were used to determine the fields of social participation in sport for all in Iran. First, through the initial studies, the introductory list of effective codes was identified. Purposive sampling method was used. After completing 27 deep and semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable scholars, theoretical saturation was obtained and the main categories were extracted after the completing the coding process. Results: The open coding results indicated that 98 initial indications and 32 final indications could determine the contexts of social participation in sport for all in Iran. Then, in the axial coding, the final indications were categorized in 11 concepts and 5 categories. Then, in the central coding, the final indications were categorized in 11 concepts and 5 categories .Finally, the identified categories derived from the selective coding included human factors, structural factors, management factors, environmental complexity, and economic factors. Conclusion: The categories of social participation in sport for all in Iran are 5, including human factors, structural factors, management factors, environmental complexity, and economic factors, respectively.