Physical Activity and Sport to Fight Social Isolation Among Houseless People in "Northtown" (France)

Abstract

This article examines the impacts of a physical activity program on individuals in extreme poverty and facing social isolation in a French city we called Northtown. The findings are based on an ethnographic approach conducted between 2022 and 2023: Forty‐three session observations, twelve biographical interviews, and four structured interviews were conducted. The article first identifies the mechanisms leading to social destabilization or breakdown among the participants. Their life trajectories are analyzed to understand the construction of their social isolation, highlighting the impact of life experiences and social conditions on this situation. Due to their difficult pasts, participants are anchored in the present and find bodily engagement in physical activity sessions. These moments provide temporary escape and a form of recognition but the effects are ephemeral. After the sessions, they return to their reality marked by isolation and persistent difficulties. Physical activities offer momentary security, distraction, and relief but they cannot compensate for the lasting impacts of their life experiences as they do not address the underlying issues of their isolation and distress.