The working class sports club “Turun Veikot” as a socializing agent – A model for the study of political socialization in sports clubs

Authors

• Lauri Keskinen Turun yliopisto

Abstract

Finnish working class sports clubs were known to be highly political at the beginning of the 20th century, but the methods with which the sports clubs taught their members about socialism have never been studied in detail. This paper discusses the case of Turun Veikot (“The Lads of Turku”), a working class sports club that was well-known for its leftism. The methods of political socialization in the club between the years 1912–1923 are studied, and at the same time a frame of reference for future studies on the same subject is being constructed. As well as historical sources, this study uses the results of modern day studies on the subject of learning in voluntary organisations. This paper came to the conclusion that the single most effective method of socializing was for a member to either participate in the management of the club or to take part in assemblies. However, these were but a fragment of the entire socializing work that took place in a working class sports club.