Sport clubs, migrant integration and building social capital: a comparative study of three North Korean football clubs in the UK and South Korea

This thesis seeks to understand how participation in voluntary football clubs can help North Korean refugees develop social capital and become better integrated into different societies. It explores these questions through three case studies of voluntary football clubs, two in South Korea and one in the UK, in which North Koreans participate. The case studies involved in-depth interviews and numerous months of participant observation at each club. The research was conducted using a critical realist perspective and contributes to the literature on migrants, social networks, social capital, sport for social capital, identity and integration. [Continues.]