Global Sport Cultures Study Notes
GLOBAL SPORT CULTURES
Editors
Gary Armstrong, University of Reading
Richard Giulianotti, University of Aberdeen
David Andrews, The University of Memphis
Overview of Global Sport Cultures
The increasing social significance of sports has been recognized at both global and local levels.
Examples include international events like the Olympics and the World Cup, as well as niche sports such as extreme sports and kabaddi.
The contested nature of identity as a social phenomenon is well documented within social sciences; however, the role of sport as a site of identity conflict is less explored despite its relevance in industrializing and post-industrial countries.
Sports corporations and entities have gained stature in the global economy, becoming significant players.
Sports serve a critical role in the advancement of mass media, particularly in the realms of telecommunications and digital television.
Sport acts as a crucial medium for communication and interaction among diverse populations and political elites on the global stage.
Upcoming Book Series
Announced by Berg Publishers to evaluate the role of sport in contemporary global contexts.
The series aims for a grounded and critically aware approach to the existing literature in sport studies, posing questions such as:
How do sports manifest and operate in local settings?
In which ways do cultures negotiate social hierarchies, like gender, class, and ethnicity, in sports contexts?
What effects do media representation and corporate globalization have on local sports cultures?
The series will utilize interdisciplinary methods, focusing on anthropology, history, and sociology, while welcoming submissions from various fields including cultural studies, economics, geography, human kinetics, international relations, law, philosophy, and political science.
An emphasis is placed on research that utilizes primary sources or ethnographic fieldwork.
Previously Published Titles in the Series
Fear and Loathing in World Football by Gary Armstrong and Richard Giulianotti
Mud, Sweat and Beers: A Cultural History of Sport and Alcohol by Tony Collins and Wray Vamplew
Sport and Postcolonialism edited by John Bale and Mike Cronin
Notes on Contributors
Alan Bairner: Professor of Sports Studies at the University of Ulster, focused on nationalism and globalization.
John Bale: Professor of Sports Geography at Keele University, researches Kenyan sports.
Mike Cronin: Senior Research Fellow in History, specializing in sport and nationalism in Ireland.
Paul Dimeo: Lecturer in Sports Studies, editor of Soccer in South Asia.
Grant Farred: Assistant Professor in Literature at Duke University, author on contemporary South Africa.
Roy Hay: Lecturer in History at Deakin University, focused on immigrant football history in Australia.
Dong-Jhy Hwang: Postgraduate student examining Chinese sports and social development.
Greg Gardiner: Author exploring Indigenous issues in Australia.
Grant Jarvie: Professor of Sports Studies exploring Celtic cultures in sport.
Malcolm MacLean: Lecturer in Sport and Social Sciences, focusing on Maori rugby issues.
James Mills: Lecturer in History, focused on colonial contexts in sports.
Daryle Rigney: Lecturer in Indigenous studies focused on the 2000 Olympics.
John Sugden: Needs-based researcher focused on boxing and world football governance.
Alan Tomlinson: Head of the Chelsea School, collaborating on works regarding sports.
Jack Williams: Senior Lecturer focusing on cricket's historical and racial context.
Bea Vidacs: Researcher at the City University of New York.
Introduction: Sport and Postcolonialism
Case Study: Lagaan
Film Plot: Set during the British Raj, focuses on an Indian village's cricket match against British colonizers to resolve a dispute.
Themes: Illustrates postcolonial relationships through performances of colonial games, allowing local expressions of empowerment.
Postcolonialism Overview
Initially a literary theory, postcolonialism is now influencing various scholarly domains.
Vast literature exists on postcolonialism, but a lacuna regarding sports persists, highlighting the need for examination of sport as a postcolonial practice.
The Body in Postcolonial Theory
Key Concept: The body serves as a crucial symbol in sports and postcolonial discourse, commonly depicted in colonial writings and representations.
Notable theorists like David Spurr, Nicholas Mirzoeff, and Mary Louise Pratt emphasize the primacy of physical representations in colonial narratives.
Structure of Discussion on Postcolonialism
Time - When is Sport Postcolonial?
Postcolonial sport began when the first ‘Third World’ sports workers entered ‘First World’ sports.
Many discussions focus historically on sports' roles during the colonial and imperial periods of the nineteenth century.
Postcolonialism can be viewed not just as the aftermath of colonialism, but as ongoing processes influenced by neo-colonialism.
Content - What Constitutes Postcolonial Sport?
Seven distinct postcolonial sport forms have been identified:
Pre-colonial body cultures that survived (e.g., Rwandan high jumping).
Indigenous cultures transformed into sports (e.g., lacrosse).
Sports invented from colonial residues (e.g., baseball, basketball).
Colonial sports modified into national forms (e.g., Gaelic football).
Colonially diffused sports adopted in their original forms (e.g., soccer, cricket).
Colonially introduced sports changed with regional adaptations (e.g., Brazilian soccer).
Hybrid sport forms (e.g., Trobriand cricket).
Method - How to Analyze Sports through Postcolonial Lenses?
Focus on representation: how colonial practices and perspectives shaped the narratives around sports and athletes.
Methods could involve:
Analyzing colonial relationships and representations in texts.
Challenging dominant narratives and assumptions found in traditional sports commentary.
Exploring resistance depicted in narratives around sports and athletes.
Emphasizing the complexity of colonial discourse and its present implications.
Patterns of Discussion in Following Chapters
The outline for the book shows a deliberate focus on various continents and contexts, indicating regional studies while acknowledging the absence of gender-focused discussion.
Each thematic chapter examines specific intersections of sport and postcolonialism in various national contexts, highlighting how local cultures assimilate, contest, or reshape sporting practices.
Chapter Summaries
Roy Hay: Explores postcolonial sporting questions in Australia, including internal colonization of indigenous cultures and sports like Aussie rules football.
Greg Gardiner: Discuss racial abuse and participation in Australian rules football, symbolizing resistance amidst systemic racism.
Daryle Rigney: Evaluates how sport contributes to both oppression and empowerment for Indigenous Australians.
Malcolm MacLean: Analyzes the spatial contexts of resistance against apartheid during the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour in New Zealand.
Dong-Jhy Hwang & Grant Jarvie: Scrutinize sports narratives around Chinese culture as postcolonial interpretation.
Jack Williams: Discusses cricketing tensions between England and Pakistan, using historical scandals to illustrate postcolonial identities.
James Mills & Paul Dimeo: Investigate colonial influences on football in India, shifting perceptions from colonization to resistance.
Grant Farred: Discusses football in South African townships as a form of cultural resistance against apartheid.
Bea Vidacs: Ethnographically explores Cameroonian experiences during the 1998 World Cup.
Alan Bairner: Examines Irish sport in a colonial context, challenging nationalist narratives.
John Sugden & Alan Tomlinson: Analyze FIFA's role in either promoting imperialism or supporting postcolonial advances in football.
Conclusion
The work presented in this collection adds a new layer of understanding to the traditional discourse surrounding postcolonialism by applying these theories to the context of sport.
The research aims to provoke future studies that explore the intersection of global sporting practices and postcolonial identities.