The complex world of global sport

Abstract

The history of modern sport has been one of movement from local to regional, national and then global contexts. Colonialism has been a driving force behind the dissemination of modern sport around the world, reflecting and reinforcing the political, economic and cultural dynamics of liberal and neo-liberal imperialism. The evolution of modern sport encompasses a complex intersection of these colonial histories, including their oppressions and exploitations, and changing social norms on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and more. In the United States of America, baseball became so popular that Albert Goodwill Spalding, a former player and sporting goods pioneer, financed a world baseball tour in 1888 (Lamster 2006). Although the world did not take to baseball as easily as Spalding had hoped, neither did Cuba take up cricket as Winston Churchill famously predicted in the late 1890s (Klein 2006). Spalding's tour did not lead to baseball storming the world; however, along with other endeavours, it did begin to put an American stamp on the global sports marketplace. Most notably, baseball's imprint thrived in areas where American imperialist interests were strong such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Philippines. American missionaries also promoted the spread of baseball in addition to emerging trading interests in Japan, Taiwan and Central America as Gerald Gems outlines in his work (Gems 2012). American missionaries were partly responsible as well for the spread of soccer (football) in sub-Saharan Africa as they believed it to be a good sport for urbanizing Africans to play (Cobley 1997; Nauright 2010). Sporting organizations are legitimating institutions that have done little to challenge the dominant world system propagated by the West and North and spread through the imperial and neo-imperial mechanisms of conquest, economic control and political intervention. Indeed, when athletes actively protest at sporting events, organizations frequently take steps to punish such activity. Parrish (2018) and Ueda (2017) have shown that the global flows in sport are not unidirectional, however, particularly in the cases of polo and judo. Virtually every sport has followed an expansion pattern from localized roots to global impact, though some remain largely concentrated in a small number of countries such as Australian or American football. Even these sports are becoming more and more global with players from other countries in the professional leagues. The arrival of the eSports industry has created global platforms for VR sports-related gaming possible. In this collection of studies from around the world, we follow the trajectory of sport in the international realm

Interpreting and Understanding: The Globalisation of Sport

“…For example, postage stamps, military uniforms and national flags have become minor cultural distinctions in comparison to being associated with the World Trade Organisation, United Nations and United Peace Keeping, which has made national activities and attitudes more globally orientated. Nauright and Zipp, (2018) explain that what has been taking place, is the process of transforming traditional methods of sport into to modern day sports. For example, professional sport is driven by sophisticated ideas and ethos that draw attention to it from leaders and influential members of society.…”

“…These people recognise sports power to generate strongly felt passions and emotions that create unity and a feeling of belonging (Anderson, 2006) (e.g., supporting or being part of a club or partaking in the sport itself). The impact of globalisation and the move from traditional to modern sports has usually witnessed more rules, rigorous structures, increased demands on excitement levels in terms of impact of what is seen (Nauright and Zipp, 2018). Experts in the sports domain say that the world today has become a "sports global village" (Maguire, 2001).…”

“…Experts in the sports domain say that the world today has become a "sports global village" (Maguire, 2001). For example, major sporting events like the Football World Cup and the Olympic Games can be watched by the entire population of the world via various media networks (Nauright and Zipp, 2018). Massively improved transport facilities have meant that criss-crossing the globe to watch these historical spectacles has become a routine practise.…”

Politics of Gender (in)Equality Relating to Sport and Development Within a Sub-Saharan Context of Poverty

“…With the focus on research in the sport-for-development field, researchers often utilise critical approaches exposing issues of unequal power relations evident in women's subsidiary position in sport decision-making and leadership (Zipp and Nauright, 2018). The advocacy for a holistic paradigm in terms of investigating gender inequality provides a way for an in-depth understanding of how people "do" gender by adhering or rejecting gendered social norms.…”

“…Fathers and men mainly act as gatekeepers for women and girls to access public (sport) spaces as players, coaches, managers and activists (Kidd, 2014;Zipp and Nauright, 2018). Male role models are considered symbols of superior sport performers, whereas mothers and sisters or local sport females carry the signified marker of "people like us."…”