Robin HeinzeInternationale Ausbreitung von Sportarten

About this book deutschenglish

From its earliest beginnings until today, the development of modern sports displays distinct dynamics that pertain to the number of sports, athletes, and sports organizations (clubs, associations). There are at least 500 different sports worldwide, although only a relatively small number of them have accomplished to spread internationally. The speed, degree, and extent to which sports diffuse largely depend on the flow of people, technology, money, and ideologies. All these aspects make the development of modern sports a part of globalization around the world.

Against this background, the international diffusion of modern sports is examined with an evolutionary economics approach. Explanations of the development and diffusion of modern sports tend to view the process of their spreading as a series of random events, thereby denying the existence of more general patterns. The book at hand does not follow these assumptions. It rather uses Rogers’ theory on the “Diffusion of Innovations” as well as the life-cycle concept to identify temporal and spatial patterns of the international diffusion of modern sports.

Throughout their life cycle, sports continue to evolve and, eventually, come to reach a regional, national, and global level of diffusion. The book points out that sports firstly begin to diffuse with respect to their range, covering all continents. Only then, they gradually start to become deeply entrenched in various countries of a continent.

Both the spatial and temporal development of sports prove that barriers do exist, hindering a steady and uniform diffusion across the globe. Therefore, influencing factors continue to be examined and empirically observed with regard to their effects and impact.

As a result, statements can be made about the impact of every factor. Differentiating between criteria like age and origin of the respective sports, again illustrates the evolutionary character of their diffusion. Differences can be seen between European and North American sports as well as between younger and older ones.

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