The Organisational Context

In recent decades, there have been major changes in the organisation of sports and exercise for adults in Denmark, with a large increase in sports participation in both the informal and commercial sectors and an incipient decline in the voluntary sector. The chapter describes this development and explains it using two meta-theoretical approaches: rational choice institutionalism and sociological/historical institutionalism. From a rational choice perspective, the changes are due to the fact that the informal sector and the commercial sector have several organisational advantages in comparison with the voluntary sector in the organisation of (new) forms of sports and exercise that have grown very strongly in Denmark in recent decades: running, cycling (as leisure activity), fitness, yoga, and activities in water. Either an organisation of the activity is not necessary (e.g., to go for a run) or the activity can be offered in ways that make the prices affordable and businesses profitable (e.g., fitness). From the perspective of historical institutionalism, there are several exercise activities, which have grown strongly in recent decades, and that have originally developed under commercial auspices (modern dance, certain forms of fitness, as well as yoga and similar activities). From the perspective of sociological institutionalism, many associations do not consider fitness, yoga, etc., as legitimate associational activities typically focused on performance and community , and associations are not concerned with the market of physical activities to the same extent as commercial actors.