“The arc of my career has been an investigation of how thriving and inclusive communities can be created and sustained. And, how conflicts that threaten community cohesion can be transformed. Specifically, my research fields are the sociology of sport and the sociology of terrorism and violent extremism.
My work has a deliberately broad and interdisciplinary agenda, focusing on intersections between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), social change, sport, non-formal education, youth, development, violence, and forced displacement. Using participatory, ethnographic, and mixed methods approaches and critical pedagogies, I collaborate with influential next-users and end-users to co-produce, share, and apply practical guidance and learnings from peer-reviewed research. My research and educational activities have influenced the knowledge, policies, and practices of government agencies and civil society organisations around the world.”
—Professor Ramón Spaaij
Sport
Sport for social change
Social justice and inclusion in sport
Violence in sport, especially
- crowd violence and football hooliganism
- safety in sport
Terrorism and Violent Extremism
Lone actors
Disengagement from violent extremism
Preventing violent extremism through sport
Publications at a Glance
11 monographs
8 edited collections
230+ peer-reviewed publications
50+ commissioned reports
Research Highlights
$8.5+ million in external research funding
Citations 9,233, h-index 48, i10-index 122
As of February 2024
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Top 1% of scientists worldwide
Stanford University Global Rankings
Research published and translated into 8 languages
English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Greek, and German
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Category 1 funding
Australian Research Council
National Institute of Justice (USA)
Dutch Research Council
Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium)
ZonMw (Care Research Netherlands)
Categories 2/3 funding
European Commission
UEFA
Department of Health
Home Affairs
Department of Defence
Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC)
Ministry of Justice and Security (Netherlands)
Home Office (Netherlands)
National Police Academy of the Netherlands
Australian Sports Commission
Australian Sporting Goods Association
Victorian State Government
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)
Victoria Police
City of Amsterdam
City of Rotterdam
Australian Football League
Tennis Australia
Cricket Australia
Reclink Australia
Football Victoria
Netball Victoria
Western Bulldogs Community Foundation
Wyndham City Council
among others
320+ media interviews and op-eds
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70+ invited keynotes and plenary addresses
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Research Interests
Sport
Ramon researches sport with interdisciplinary teams across 3 continents: the Sport & Social Change Living Lab (Victoria University), Sport & Society (Utrecht University), and the Centre for Sport Leadership (Stellenbosch University).
The Sport and Social Change Living Lab seeks to understand how people’s experiences of sport and physical activity are shaped and constrained by broader structures and cultural processes. It also researches how to facilitate positive social change in and through sport and physical activity.
The Sport & Society group focuses on the public values of sport, such as wellbeing, inclusion, public health, and sport-related social challenges (e.g., corruption, criminal infiltration). Its research explores what public values and public issues arise in sport, how public and private organizations deal with them, and what this means for sport and society.
In the Centre for Sport Leadership, Ramon works within a global network of leading scholars developing innovative approaches and research impact at scale in the field of sport for development and peace.
Social justice and inclusion in sport
Developing new knowledge and solutions to create safe and inclusive sporting environments for people of all backgrounds and abilities. With a particular focus on centering and elevating the experiences of marginalized communities including refugees and asylum seekers.
Sport for social change
Advancing understanding and evidence of how positive social change can be facilitated and sustained through sport. With particular expertise in health and social outcomes, youth development, community capacity building, and conflict transformation.
Football ‘hooliganism’ and crowd violence
Understanding root causes and situational dynamics of crowd violence in sport, and advancing novel evidence-informed approaches to prevention and conflict transformation, with a particular focus on football (soccer).
Safety in sport
Developing new insights into the nature, causes, and consequences of violence against children and adults in sport to better inform sport policy and governance. This research is conducted primarily through the International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport (IRNOVIS).
Terrorism and Violent Extremism
Ramon researches terrorism and violent extremism as part of the Applied Security Science Partnership. The team develops and advances scientific knowledge about the human impact, causes, prevention and countering of terrorism and violent extremism.
Lone actors
Enhancing understanding of, and responses to, terrorism carried out by individuals who operate without direction from a wider organization. With a particular focus on root causes, narratives, radicalization pathways, emotion management, and mental health.
Disengagement from violent extremism
Identifying key factors, processes, and contexts affecting meaningful engagement with diversion/disengagement programs and successful disengagement from violent extremism.
Preventing violent extremism through sport
Producing critical insights into the role that sport can play in the primary and secondary prevention of violent extremism. This line of research aims to strengthen the evidence base and inform policy on how sport and esport may meaningfully contribute to intervention programs.
Thank you
A special thanks to our research funders for your support!
Ramón Spaaij 