Interpretation of sport in Bourdieu's discourse
Subject Areas : Sociological studies of sports
1 - Department of sociology. Shahre qods branch. Islamic azad university. Tehran. Iran.
Keywords: Bourdieu, sociology of sport, sports field, classes, modern sport,
Abstract :
Introduction:This article seeks to analyze sport and its functions in Berdieu's theoretical apparatus. Along with the genealogy of modern sports, he has analyzed the educational, educational, economic, social and political functions of this phenomenon, and it is considered that this phenomenon is a part of the process of political power, soft domination, and new education. Methodology:The research method of this article is historical and the technique of documents and library is used. In this study, Bourdieu's works in the field of sports, which were based on surveys and field findings, were examined. Findings:The findings of this study indicate that Bourdieu considered sports as a social and composite phenomenon that consists of multiple elements. Bourdieu considers sport to be class-oriented and one of the aspects of class separation. Based on this, people do not have absolute freedom in choosing sports, but their choice is limited by their class characteristics. Conclusion:Bourdieu concludes, today the diverse functions of sports have caused this phenomenon to be considered beyond sports. In his opinion, sports are a low-cost tool to entertain and enrich students' free time and a tool in the hands of the ruling class to advertise and legitimize the system. Bourdieu introduced sports in close connection with the field of political power and considered it as a field of competition for power, and it is because of this that sports is a mechanism for the mobilization and symbolic conquest of the masses and a means of domination by governments. He also believed that the spread of modern sports among the strata and mass of European society left a tremendous impact. Modern sports are a low-cost means of entertaining students and enriching their free time and filling their idle hours. According to him, taking care of students with sports will be simple and inexpensive. Therefore, Bourdieu considers modern sports as a part of the new education process and considers the function of this type of sports in day and night schools as an educational function. Economic mechanism in order to monitor and discharge violence and moderate their aggression. On the other hand, according to Bourdieu, sport is a field to compete for power. It is a tool in the hands of the ruling class as a symbolic political mobilization and conquest of the masses, therefore it believes that institutions such as parties, unions and churches compete with each other in attracting young people.