EPHE 143: History of Sport, Physical Activity, and Culture - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, analytical frameworks, historical periods, and terminology from EPHE 143 Week 2 study notes and lecture transcript.

Modernization Theory

An analytical framework in history stating that the rise of modern sport occurred during the Industrial Revolution as society shifted away from agricultural and local economies toward city-based industries.

Structure (Sociological Concept)

A sociological perspective holding that the development of sport is bound by the parameters and limitations of existing social institutions.

Human Agency

An analytical framework proposing that people are actively involved in developing or constructing their own sports through their experiences and choices within society.

Culture (Temertzoglou & Challen)

The common elements of day-to-day life among a given people, including food, work patterns, religion, music, arts, leisure, and shared values.

Culture (APA Definition)

The distinctive customs, values, beliefs, knowledge, art, and language of a society or community passed down across generations as the basis for everyday behaviors.

Culture (UNESCO Definition)

A set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society or a social group, encompassing art, literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions, and beliefs.

Nationalism

The collective identity and pride of a country and its people, often reflected in feelings attached to national athletic achievements.

Asceticism

A religious concept during the Dark Ages holding that the body is subordinate to the spiritual self and should be suppressed, resulting in a focus on physical nonactivity.

Feudalism

A medieval system of land ownership where Monarchs or Fiefs owned land protected by Vassals (Lords) and Knights, while Serfs (peasants) provided agricultural labor.

La Soule

An early medieval form of football or soccer played in secrecy by Serfs during their downtime.

Gentleman Athlete Ideal

A Victorian Era concept restricting sports participation to wealthy amateurs and excluding working-class individuals who earned money through physical labor.

Pierre de Coubertin

The French aristocrat who revived the spectacle of the Olympic Games in the mid-1800s and established the Modern Olympics in 1894.

Humanism

A Renaissance movement and belief system focused on the dignity and concern for people as individual, expressive beings capable of achieving diverse accomplishments.

Renaissance Man

A concept originating in the Renaissance describing an individual who is skilled at and interested in multiple diverse fields simultaneously.

Vittorino da Feltra

An Italian Renaissance scholar who combined physical training with mental training in court schools in the 1300s, forming an early formal physical education program.

John Locke

A 17th-century philosopher who advocated for physical education, arguing that children learn better when they are physically healthy.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An 18th-century writer whose book Emile stated that physical education contributes to health and a vigorous body, helping establish foundational physical education concepts.

Baggataway

The traditional Indigenous North American game (lacrosse) holding deep ceremonial and religious significance, which was later modified and stripped of its cultural meaning through European colonialism.

Hegemony

An ideology used by dominant groups to justify societal inequities and inequalities based on power differentials.

Fishermen's Jousting

A brutal ancient Egyptian contest where teams of up to four fishermen in papyrus boats attempted to knock their opponents into the Nile River.

Polis

Ancient Greek city-states whose athletic competitions fostered local and regional pride.

Jim Thorpe

An Olympic gold medalist whose medals were stripped after he accepted small payments for playing baseball prior to Olympic competition, illustrating Victorian amateurism rules.

1936 Berlin Olympics

An Olympic event, often called Hitler's Olympics or the Nazi Olympics, infamously utilized as a political propaganda tool by the Nazi regime.

1968 Mexico City Olympics Protest

The podium protest where sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised the Black Power salute to highlight racial injustice in the United States.

1980 Moscow Olympics Boycott

An international boycott led by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and joined by up to 62 nations, including Canada, protesting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

1976 Montreal Olympics Boycott

A boycott of the Olympic Games by 25 African countries carried out to protest Apartheid in South Africa.

Mallakhamb

A traditional Indian sport featuring pole gymnastics that highlights the connection between physical movement, discipline, and cultural heritage.