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Showing posts from June, 2015

From Play to Games to Sport: Sportization as a Trajectory

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The Civilising Process is a book written by sociologist Norbert Elias, in which he contends that the present structure and form of society can only be understood in relation to long term processes which have their roots deep in history. If we use the civilising process as a lens, we are encouraged to view the present state of affairs (whether that be political, economic, social or sporting) not as a fixed and final destination, but as a mere point along a flow of history from past to future. This meta-narrative enables us to appreciate the necessary lack of equilibrium in the social world, and is a helpful way of conceptualising the cause(s) of social conflict. Furthermore, conceptualising society as a manifestation of a multitude of processes rather than as a static, fixed entity encourages us to seek out and identify social trajectories.
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Gender Identity in Sport: In Search of a Synthesis

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Gender identity is a hot topic. As the Women's World Cup gets into gear, news and social media is awash with commentary on the event and the merits and demerits of women's Sport more broadly. Some of it is careful and considered, some of it caustic and controversial.  Sensitivities are so heightened when it comes to discussing gender in Sport, that it can be difficult to have a reasoned discussion without one side or other resorting to mudslinging. The landscape is fraught with danger, and no doubt many disagreements lurk therein, but nevertheless, let's take a wander. First of all, let me present three different examples of the interface between sport and gender.
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More than a Crest: the meaning of the Barça badge

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The changing design of Barcelona's club badge teaches us about how sport is an integral part of wider society, not simply a meaningless addendum.  In 1899 at the club's founding it was decided to use the city coat of arms as the club's badge. FC Barcelona's regional ties have long been a fundamental part of its identity, and when the club produced its own unique badge in 1910, key symbolism from the city's crest was retained. The Cross of St. George 1910 crest St George, is not only the patron saint of England, but also a significant icon in numerous regions of Spain. In Catalonia, as in England, he is the noble slayer of dragons, the moral crusader, the rescuer of damsels; in short, God's man on the earth. In a culture saturated with Catholicism the symbolic act of wearing George's cross is of great relevance. The selection of the Cross to form the Barça crest is a means to tie the club to a heritage which - albeit mostly invented - enables the
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Michael Polanyi and the best ever goal.

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"There is no real substitute for a ball struck squarely and firmly". So says Billy Bragg in the song A Lover Sings, and anyone who has played football (soccer, if you must) knows what he means. You know what it's like to make the perfect connection with the ball. You just know. But what is it that enables us to 'just know'? That's what this blog post is about. Think about the last time you hit the perfect strike and sent the ball screaming into the back of the net. (Okay, point taken. Just imagine it.) What did it look like? How did it feel? Did it sound like a thud, or was it some other kind of sound? Were you aware of your surroundings? The opposition? Teammates? It's kind of hard to say, isn't it? We need some way of thinking this through, so let's start with an example, to which we can refer. Here is a short video clip of the best goal ever. (You heard me.) More than we can tell I wonder what the goalscorer Zinedine Zidane would
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Loving Authority

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I am a big fan of the work and thought of Michael Polanyi. His realism is refreshing as it is brilliant. But in this post I want to pick up on one interesting feature of Polanyi's epistemology, and show how it might be helpful in the ongoing discussion around pedagogy. Michael Polanyi asserts that coming to know is akin to an act of discovery. In learning, some new meaning is achieved through the integration of new and old knowing into a new, perhaps-only-half-anticipated coherence. Sometimes this feels like a 'eureka' moment, sometimes more mundane, but the process and the structure of the integration are the same. Polanyi also suggested that once a coherence is discovered (not 'constructed'), you know you have done so because you have a sense of 'indeterminate future manifestations' of that new thing. It explodes with meanings and possibilities. You might find yourself saying 'oh, that suddenly makes sense', or 'I can't believe I didn&#
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