An examination of studies on "sport and politics"

Abstract

An attempt of indicating a perspective for the systematic arrangement of studies on "sport and politics" was made by examining the contents and methodology of preceding studies concerned. Main results are as follows: 1. As for the total aspect of studies where the relations between sport and other components of social structure are dealt with, it is methodologically adequate to introduce the concept of "institution" which is the unit of social structure. Politics can basically be understood as "policy" which has a certain logical relation with public interests and power. For the analysis of mutual relations between sport and politics standing on the basis of policy, it is inevitable to clarify the meaning of "influence", "relation" and "function". Especially logical improvement of the methodology of functional analysis is indispensable. 2. The concrete domains of the study on "sport and politics" are classified into such five categories as sport policy, sport and political ideology, political functions of sport, sport and social regime, and sport and international relations. After indicating the problems to be solved in terms of the systematic arrangement of the studies in each category, they are mutually related and a guideline for the systematization of studies on "sport and politics" is presented.