Body In Terms Of Colonialism, And The Globalization Of Sports

Anthropological theory opens the door to viewing the body in novel ways (e.g., in terms of nationalism, globalization, and gender) (Appleby and Foster 2013:13). Approaches to viewing the body as something more than a biological entity have emerged as a result of changes in “theory and practice”. Researchers have considered the sporting body in terms of migration of labour, colonialism, and globalisation (Besnier and Brownell 2012:443).
Migrant labour of athletes and trainers, are facilitated by a transnational network of agents (recruiters, managers, institutional authorities, members of the public and individuals) in several locations (Besnier and Brownell 2012). In 1990 and the years after, universities, clubs, and teams began searching for

This has given rise to power struggles and global politics which greatly influence the siting as well as the enforcement of for example the Olympics Games (Carter 2010:407). According to MacAloon (1984), the Olympic can be perceived as a form “cultural colonization,” with the modern Olympics at the turn of the 20th century emanating from Western Europe.
The continuing dominance of the International Olympic Committee by Western nations, and the challenges presented by the increasing capitalist penetration of other world-wide sports institutions, such as the IOC and FIFA’s troubles have caused various scandals and criticisms, speak to the lasting colonial relationships that the West has with the rest of the world (Barney et al. 2002; Lenskyj and Burstyn 2000; Senn 1999; Darby 2001; Sugden and Tomlinson

Scholars have discovered an association of some sports (e.g., gymnastics, dance, and figure skating) with beauty and grace that observers mostly regard as feminine (Koivula 2001). Conversely, sports like football and boxing are associated with violence, aggression and physical contact, and are regarded as masculine (Koivula 2001). Further cementing the gendered ideology of sport is the presence of scantily clad young women as ‘card girls’ at boxing matches and cheerleaders at football games (Oates, 1987). These gendered categories and practices are immersed in social ideas which are influenced by what the members of society consider should be done (Appleby and Foster 2013:14). Such persistent beliefs limit opportunities for sport participation for both male and female athletes (Coakley