Acta Universitatis Carolinae – Studia Territorialia (Web)

Proposals by: 15.07.2024

Since the second half of the nineteenth century, sport has become an inseparable part of modern life. It has played an increasingly positive and important role in entertainment, commerce, public health, and the military. It has penetrated the institutional fabric of society and become more and more involved in the formation and expression of local, national, and even international collective identities. Prior to World War I, all these aspects of sport could be said to be in statu nascendi; however, after 1918, sport gradually evolved into a typical phenomenon of contemporary mass society, with an increasingly strong link to politics.
In some instances this evolution has manifested itself in the use of sport as a platform for promoting nationalist, racist, and colonial agendas. It has occasionally been exploited as an instrument of control in the social, gender, and religious spheres. Last but not least, it has become a big, profitable business. In the period leading up to World War II, various social and professional groups pursued their political agendas through sporting activities. The rise of authoritarian and totalitarian dictatorships was accompanied by the politicization of sport. Such regimes valued sport as a space for self-promotion and for defining themselves vis-à-vis the outside world. During both world wars, sport was incorporated into the war effort. Strong athletes were promoted as heroes who embodied the best qualities of a given nation and team sports were likened to the combat activities of military units. Not surprisingly, sports activities were incorporated into military training.
After World War II, when the world was gripped by a bipolar power struggle, and later an unpredictable multipolar competition, sport fulfilled other prominent political needs. From a socio-cultural perspective, sport was a stage for the emancipation of racial and gender minorities and the pursuit of other agendas. In the international context, attempts at using sport as a bridge between the two blocs alternated with celebrating international sporting events, including the Olympics, as opportunities to marginalize and weaken geopolitical rivals. In recent years, some authoritarian regimes have continued to use sport as a tool for propaganda and the promotion of their power. These regimes’ rivals have countered by excluding their national sports teams from participation in international competitions. Weiterlesen … (Web)