Hegemony

The vision of sport as a site where hegemonic purposes can be realized implies the evaluation of the extent to which the dominant groups have been able to shape the prevailing sport’s structure according to organizational and playing methods that lead to the acceptance of dominant values and the discipline of subordinates. The need for leisure is directed towards sports practices promoting the incorporation of industrial values, work discipline, productivity and market logic. Moreover, the prevailing dimension of entertainment and business leads to the organization of competitions by virtue of economic interest and commercial exploitation. This has led, for many sports, to the change of game rules, in order to sound more attractive; moreover, scheduling and organizations of events have gone through changes, so to meet media and marketing needs. Finally, some transformations have also affected the amplification of spectacular or aesthetic elements, as well as the transformation of athletes into brands. Although residual experiences and alternatives to the dominant model are still possible, they have to deal with the power of the hegemonic logic.