This document discusses the history of sport and its role in society from ancient times to the modern era. It explores how sport has become a civilized form of competition over time. Ancient Greeks held athletic competitions as part of their culture. In ancient Rome, gladiator fights in the Colosseum were a popular spectacle. In the 18th century, the upper classes in England pursued sports as a leisure activity. The 19th century saw the rise of organized team sports that also involved the working classes. Sociologist Norbert Elias believed that modern sport satisfies our innate human desire to engage in hunter-gatherer activities through civilized reenactments. Today, major sporting events are highly institutionalized global spectacles.

1. Lesson 1
The Civilising Process
by Norbert Elias (1)

2. Ancient ‘Sport’
• The ‘ancient’ Olympic games. Greek
societies, such as Sparta & Athens (as well
as Troy etc) respected strength & speed,
offering games including sprints, chariot
races, javelin, discus etc.

3. Case Study: The 1984
Olympic Games
• What was the problem with the Olympics
financially before 1984?
• How did the 1984 Los Angeles games
change sponsorship of major sporting
events?

4. Rome: The Coliseum
• The ‘plebians’ of Rome as well as the
nobility enjoyed the spectacle of gladiators
in the arena. The Coliseum remains an icon
to the testimony of this era.
• http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhHmZZcb2DA

5. The 18th Century
• The landed gentry of the 18th Century
sought ‘sport’ without stepping outside the
bounds of civility.
• Cricket, horse racing, fox hunting and
boxing were popular pursuits of their day.

6. The 19th Century
• Soccer, rugby, tennis and athletics emerged
in the late 19th Century, some of which
extended into the working classes.
• This was partly the result of demands for
shorter working hours and subsequently,
increased leisure time.

7. Modern day Sport
• For the most part, sport has become a
civilised form of human competition.
• Events such as The Tour de France, World
Cup, Olympic Games & Sissy Cup are
established, institutionalised events with an
established audience.

8. Elias
• In 1939, Elias first suggested his theory of
the ‘Civilising Process.’ In essence, Elias
believed that as human beings, we still seek
the desire to engage in ‘civilised’
reenactments of our hunter/gatherer past.
• Consider the ‘crowd’ at a sporting event, as
20,000 people gesticulate, swear and
generally verbally attack a man (usually)
wearing black! (The ref)

9. Elias & The Media
• Modern day sporting events play upon the
passion of the crowd to help engage
audiences in the narrative of the spectacle.
(Cut away shots to cricket fans in the
stands or football fans dancing and hugging
one another for joy after a goal has been
scored)

10. Masculine Culture
• Boyle & Haynes refer to ‘the masculine
ritual of sport’ in their book Power Play:
sport the media & Popular Culture
• Do you think sport spectatorship is
primarily a male pursuit? Discuss in small
groups and then feed back to the class. (30
mins)

11. Homework task: market research
• Watch some sport on TV, preferably on a
sports channel. Who is the audience for the
sport? Hint, check out cut-away shots to
live audience, if there is one to help valiadte
your findings.
• Do you agree with Boyle & Haynes about
masculine cultures in sport? If so, why?
• Post your findings on www.ning.com as
part of your blog page.

12. Bibliography
• Norbert Elias, The Civilising Process: The
History of Manners, State, Formation and
Civilisation, Blackwell, Oxford, 1939, 1982.
• Eric Dunning & Chris Rojek, Sport &
Leisure in the Civilising Process, Routledge,
London, 1992.
• Norbert Elias & Eric Dunning, The Civilising
Process: the Quest for Excitement in
Leisure, Blackwell, Oxford, 1986.
• Power Play: Sport, the Media & Pop Culture
by Raymond Boyle & Richard Haynes