Electronic sports is a new phenomenon in scientific research. Many issues within it have not been systematically analyzed. The use of artificial substances to improve human physical abilities is most often addressed in the context of deviation in sports. E-sports partially reflects sporting functionality, but in the area of doping and anti-doping control in video game competitions, it is difficult to delineate the boundary between what is allowed and what is forbidden. The aim of this work is to reconstruct the social assessment of doping in e-sports based on the attitudes and experience of fans and players. Most players accept the use of stimulants, such as energy drinks. Some of them also observe the use of prohibited substances during games. E-sports enthusiasts usually support anti-doping controls modeled on traditional sports and emphasize the importance of structural determinants of the issue, such as allowing the use of prohibited means.
This study uses Herbert Blumer's theory of collective behaviour and stages of the collective social definition of the problem to analyse print media discourse concerning domestic politics-related fan activity among Polish football fans prior to the Euro 2012 football championships finals. We describe and explain each stage of the escalating conflict, the wave of football fan protests, political reactions, and the measures undertaken to resolve the problem. A qualitative textual content analysis of media discourse was applied to 68 press articles that were published in the first half of 2011 in Przegląd Sportowy, the oldest sport newspaper in Poland. The results lead to the conclusion that all five stages of the process were clear-cut during the analysed period of political tension between the fans and the government, and that Blumer's concept proves to be a viable means of analysing social problems related to contemporary sport fandom.
Communities of practice are groups of people united by a passion for something, who deepen their knowledge and experience in their field through ongoing interactions. This article focuses on the importance of institutionalized relationship networks and mutual recognition in preparation for esports competitions. The study represents inductive, qualitative analyses. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with players (n = 12) that have significant achievements in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) competitions. In the social world of MTG enthusiasts, numerous groups reflect the functionality of a community of practice. These groups constitute a fundamental aspect of preparation for top-level MTG tournaments. Examples of the functioning of so-called testing groups among MTG enthusiasts allow the formulation of a new analytical category – the gaming community of practice. Contrary to stereotypes, the presented study supports the thesis about the significant role of video games in the formation of social competencies and the creation of specific communities, which is particularly important in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers often use traditional sports' theoretical frameworks to evaluate esports' 'genuineness'. Therefore, this article shows how esports is assessed by traditional sports and esports journalists and how this is important for esports research. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 15) with the journalists representing top-tier Polish media and used inductive conventional content analysis. Three main analytical categories and ten subcategories indicate how the two types of journalists differ in their assessments of esports being or not being 'real' sport. The results highlight how problematic it is to use traditional sports as a frame into which esports needs to fit. We indicate the misconceptions of this approach and propose more inductive ones (e.g. searching for esports' distinct frameworks or revealing those used by different groups or communities). Also, our research has some practical implications and is a kind of 'map' showing the esports' new quality and its complex nature.
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