The main focus of this study is the analysis of the link between sport, leisure and the behavior, and phenomenon of religion. From the qualitative point of view of social anthropology, fieldwork has been carried out with different informers from different sporting environments. Rather than directly show the fieldwork itself, we have decided to present an interpretation of it through an analysis of the environments, behaviors, attitudes, the discourse of leisure and sport and its relationship with market forces, advertising and the media. In this regard, we point out a reality which for some people is their conscience or reason for being, opening new directions of study and viewpoints in this area of sporting and health studies.
One of the major transformations in religion in contemporary societies has been the decline of church institutions and their reconstruction within a diverse network of associations, therapies, markets and other unconventional spiritual services. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork on religious behaviours and dynamics in sports contexts, and taking the similarities between sport and religion as the point of departure, this paper analyses, reflects on and theorises about the symbolic affinities of these two contemporary social institutions. The results show that symbolism converges in the religious element, tending to improve aspects related to sports ethics and establishing affective experiences among participants, with positive results for their physical and mental wellbeing. The findings indicate that a symbolic analysis of the various facets of sport is a useful approach for gaining a better understanding of this phenomenon, since besides being biological, diseases are also cultural and social, and thus, disease, religion and ritual are emotionally related.
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