Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 2010
Visible or Invisible Games? A Critique on the Future of the World GamesAs the crowded calendar of... more Visible or Invisible Games? A Critique on the Future of the World GamesAs the crowded calendar of world sport and the increasing competition between sporting festivals is likely to affect more second-tier global sporting festivals than the Olympic Games (Cashman 2004, p. 134), this paper attempts to answer a few questions concerning the future of the World Games, i.e. a multi-sport mega event. The first and primary question is whether it is worthwhile to host the World Games. In this paper reasoned justification will be provided with a critical eye. Furthermore, questions will be raised about the when and particularly about the where. The content of the World Games' programs will be briefly discussed and critically evaluated as well. As an example the author will use the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for discussion.
In 1993, after I had attended the 33rd session of the international Olympic Academy in ancient Ol... more In 1993, after I had attended the 33rd session of the international Olympic Academy in ancient Olympia, one of my Taiwanese professors told me that ‘Olympism is a western product. It is the product of western imperialism. It is nonsense! ’ He then ques-tioned me ‘What is Olympism? ’ Since I had just come back from the Academy. I replied to him what I had just learned there. I said to him that ‘Olympism includes fair play, friendship, mutual respect, peace, and so on. ’ For him, these elements are all merely ide-
Perennial iterations of Olympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contractua... more Perennial iterations of Olympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contractual obligations upon host cities, have prompted development of wide-ranging educational initiatives. S...
<jats:p>At the confluence between Modern Olympism and Confucian teachings—nowadays embodied... more <jats:p>At the confluence between Modern Olympism and Confucian teachings—nowadays embodied and expressed in East Asian Confucianisms—there are meaningful overlaps, significant challenges, and opportunities. This paper examines these. Despite radically different origins and apparently incommensurate tenets, we should not assume that the underlying ideals of Modern Olympism and East Asian Confucianisms cannot benefit mutually. It is precisely when considering their putative weak points, such as Modern Olympism's soft metaphysics or vague ethics or Confucianism's bias against physical activity or gender, that we find educational opportunities (character education, harmony) that make contributions to a universal humanistic sport education.</jats:p>
The aim of this research is to examine values within dangerous sports. We begin by discussing the... more The aim of this research is to examine values within dangerous sports. We begin by discussing the article, “The Value of Dangerous Sports” by J. S. Russell (2005), in which such values are associated with self-affirmation. Russell believes that self-affirmation has a close relationship to the ideals of human self-realization, a manner of thinking arising from specifically Western values. In the present article, the discussion is broadened by approaching it from an Eastern perspective based on Zen Buddhism, wherein “selflessness” is understood as a value to the extent that it helps overcome any concept of the self, thereby leading to direct experiencing of what is. Selflessness is demonstrated through the example of the traditional Japanese martial arts path (budō), which is considered a dangerous sport. Thus, it is argued that an alternative result of self-surpassing can be “selflessness,” so that the previous aim of self-affirmation can gradually evolve into an understanding that t...
chose not to read) the literature, which helped to sustain nostalgia for the hunt even as it decl... more chose not to read) the literature, which helped to sustain nostalgia for the hunt even as it declined in practice. The emphasis on elite political actors tends to obscure the activism on both sides that changed public opinion but also changed the field – hunt saboteurs barely merit a mention, yet the existence of hunt saboteurs and monitors has changed what hunting means to people, as Otis Ferry – presented here as a romantic, if naive, hunt supporter – can attest. The book will appeal to those interested in preserving hunting, and will probably infuriate those opposed to it. It would be a provocative monograph in a sociology of sport class; fox-hunting troubles typologies of athletes and spectators. It is a controversial minority sport that established itself as a ‘national’ pastime, more as an idea or image than practice. As questions of government regulation of sport become more pronounced (for example US congressional investigations into concussion rates in the National Football League, UK parliamentary inquiry into football governance), fox-hunting is a revealing case where an established sport has been radically curtailed as a result of a legislative mandate. May provides a comprehensive survey of the scholarship on hunting and her bibliography is useful both for the secondary literature (mostly historical) and the primary source material (mostly accounts from the fox-hunting world). The book would also prove valuable in a class on sport and literature.
The purpose of this study is to resolve ‘moral conflict’ in sport and to present a better approac... more The purpose of this study is to resolve ‘moral conflict’ in sport and to present a better approach with respect to right actions for sports participants. While acknowledging that there are many positive values or principles (e.g. Olympism) in sport, some ‘moral conflict’ in sport might still arise and therefore cannot be easily resolved. By introducing Hare's two levels of
ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurpr... more ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurprising, relationship with Physical Education and its practitioners. Yet, as academics continue their critiques of all matters Olympic, this seemingly symbiotic partnership is being placed under much closer scrutiny. The debates are typically orientated around several key concerns, namely, the vagaries of Olympic discourse, the implicit assumptions that align Olympic idealism with ‘good’ moral education, the relevance of Olympic values in young peoples&#39; lives, the Olympic industry&#39;s politicizing/colonizing of educational domains, and the utility of Olympic ideals for affecting social, cultural, and (physical) educational change. One other discussion thread, which we add to in this paper, has been the (in)congruencies between Olympic idealism and non-Western cultural contexts and educational frameworks. Combined, the scholarly voices essentially encourage theorists and practitioners to approach the relationship between education and the Olympics with care.
ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurpr... more ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurprising, relationship with Physical Education and its practitioners. Yet, as academics continue their critiques of all matters Olympic, this seemingly symbiotic partnership is being placed under much closer scrutiny. The debates are typically orientated around several key concerns, namely, the vagaries of Olympic discourse, the implicit assumptions that align Olympic idealism with ‘good’ moral education, the relevance of Olympic values in young peoples&#39; lives, the Olympic industry&#39;s politicizing/colonizing of educational domains, and the utility of Olympic ideals for affecting social, cultural, and (physical) educational change. One other discussion thread, which we add to in this paper, has been the (in)congruencies between Olympic idealism and non-Western cultural contexts and educational frameworks. Combined, the scholarly voices essentially encourage theorists and practitioners to approach the relationship between education and the Olympics with care.
Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 2010
Visible or Invisible Games? A Critique on the Future of the World GamesAs the crowded calendar of... more Visible or Invisible Games? A Critique on the Future of the World GamesAs the crowded calendar of world sport and the increasing competition between sporting festivals is likely to affect more second-tier global sporting festivals than the Olympic Games (Cashman 2004, p. 134), this paper attempts to answer a few questions concerning the future of the World Games, i.e. a multi-sport mega event. The first and primary question is whether it is worthwhile to host the World Games. In this paper reasoned justification will be provided with a critical eye. Furthermore, questions will be raised about the when and particularly about the where. The content of the World Games' programs will be briefly discussed and critically evaluated as well. As an example the author will use the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for discussion.
In 1993, after I had attended the 33rd session of the international Olympic Academy in ancient Ol... more In 1993, after I had attended the 33rd session of the international Olympic Academy in ancient Olympia, one of my Taiwanese professors told me that ‘Olympism is a western product. It is the product of western imperialism. It is nonsense! ’ He then ques-tioned me ‘What is Olympism? ’ Since I had just come back from the Academy. I replied to him what I had just learned there. I said to him that ‘Olympism includes fair play, friendship, mutual respect, peace, and so on. ’ For him, these elements are all merely ide-
Perennial iterations of Olympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contractua... more Perennial iterations of Olympic Games, and the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contractual obligations upon host cities, have prompted development of wide-ranging educational initiatives. S...
<jats:p>At the confluence between Modern Olympism and Confucian teachings—nowadays embodied... more <jats:p>At the confluence between Modern Olympism and Confucian teachings—nowadays embodied and expressed in East Asian Confucianisms—there are meaningful overlaps, significant challenges, and opportunities. This paper examines these. Despite radically different origins and apparently incommensurate tenets, we should not assume that the underlying ideals of Modern Olympism and East Asian Confucianisms cannot benefit mutually. It is precisely when considering their putative weak points, such as Modern Olympism's soft metaphysics or vague ethics or Confucianism's bias against physical activity or gender, that we find educational opportunities (character education, harmony) that make contributions to a universal humanistic sport education.</jats:p>
The aim of this research is to examine values within dangerous sports. We begin by discussing the... more The aim of this research is to examine values within dangerous sports. We begin by discussing the article, “The Value of Dangerous Sports” by J. S. Russell (2005), in which such values are associated with self-affirmation. Russell believes that self-affirmation has a close relationship to the ideals of human self-realization, a manner of thinking arising from specifically Western values. In the present article, the discussion is broadened by approaching it from an Eastern perspective based on Zen Buddhism, wherein “selflessness” is understood as a value to the extent that it helps overcome any concept of the self, thereby leading to direct experiencing of what is. Selflessness is demonstrated through the example of the traditional Japanese martial arts path (budō), which is considered a dangerous sport. Thus, it is argued that an alternative result of self-surpassing can be “selflessness,” so that the previous aim of self-affirmation can gradually evolve into an understanding that t...
chose not to read) the literature, which helped to sustain nostalgia for the hunt even as it decl... more chose not to read) the literature, which helped to sustain nostalgia for the hunt even as it declined in practice. The emphasis on elite political actors tends to obscure the activism on both sides that changed public opinion but also changed the field – hunt saboteurs barely merit a mention, yet the existence of hunt saboteurs and monitors has changed what hunting means to people, as Otis Ferry – presented here as a romantic, if naive, hunt supporter – can attest. The book will appeal to those interested in preserving hunting, and will probably infuriate those opposed to it. It would be a provocative monograph in a sociology of sport class; fox-hunting troubles typologies of athletes and spectators. It is a controversial minority sport that established itself as a ‘national’ pastime, more as an idea or image than practice. As questions of government regulation of sport become more pronounced (for example US congressional investigations into concussion rates in the National Football League, UK parliamentary inquiry into football governance), fox-hunting is a revealing case where an established sport has been radically curtailed as a result of a legislative mandate. May provides a comprehensive survey of the scholarship on hunting and her bibliography is useful both for the secondary literature (mostly historical) and the primary source material (mostly accounts from the fox-hunting world). The book would also prove valuable in a class on sport and literature.
The purpose of this study is to resolve ‘moral conflict’ in sport and to present a better approac... more The purpose of this study is to resolve ‘moral conflict’ in sport and to present a better approach with respect to right actions for sports participants. While acknowledging that there are many positive values or principles (e.g. Olympism) in sport, some ‘moral conflict’ in sport might still arise and therefore cannot be easily resolved. By introducing Hare's two levels of
ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurpr... more ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurprising, relationship with Physical Education and its practitioners. Yet, as academics continue their critiques of all matters Olympic, this seemingly symbiotic partnership is being placed under much closer scrutiny. The debates are typically orientated around several key concerns, namely, the vagaries of Olympic discourse, the implicit assumptions that align Olympic idealism with ‘good’ moral education, the relevance of Olympic values in young peoples&#39; lives, the Olympic industry&#39;s politicizing/colonizing of educational domains, and the utility of Olympic ideals for affecting social, cultural, and (physical) educational change. One other discussion thread, which we add to in this paper, has been the (in)congruencies between Olympic idealism and non-Western cultural contexts and educational frameworks. Combined, the scholarly voices essentially encourage theorists and practitioners to approach the relationship between education and the Olympics with care.
ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurpr... more ABSTRACT Background: For some time the Olympics have enjoyed a relatively cosy, and quite unsurprising, relationship with Physical Education and its practitioners. Yet, as academics continue their critiques of all matters Olympic, this seemingly symbiotic partnership is being placed under much closer scrutiny. The debates are typically orientated around several key concerns, namely, the vagaries of Olympic discourse, the implicit assumptions that align Olympic idealism with ‘good’ moral education, the relevance of Olympic values in young peoples&#39; lives, the Olympic industry&#39;s politicizing/colonizing of educational domains, and the utility of Olympic ideals for affecting social, cultural, and (physical) educational change. One other discussion thread, which we add to in this paper, has been the (in)congruencies between Olympic idealism and non-Western cultural contexts and educational frameworks. Combined, the scholarly voices essentially encourage theorists and practitioners to approach the relationship between education and the Olympics with care.
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