Dr.Sc.Philos., Professor E.N. Yarkova¹
Dr.Sc.Soc., Professor G.M. Zabolotnaya^1
1Tyumen State University, Tyumen

Keywords: sporting activity, values, traditionalism, utilitarianism, creativism.

Background. The role of sports in the modern world can hardly be overestimated since they have evolved in an indispensable component of human civilisation, one of the most important social integration tools, significant economic sector, efficient political instrument and important domain of interpersonal and international communication. However, it is increasingly clear for many people today that sports may be used both as a constructive and destructive power, and this is the reason why studies of the modern sports values are equally important in the theoretic and practical aspects [1]. It is beyond doubt that the modern science has accumulated some knowledgebase on the values-driven sport strategies (D. Binder, V.I. Stolyarov, I.M. Bykhovskaya, B.V. Dubinin, S.I. Kurilo, Y.A. Litinskaya, W. Morgan et al.), but this knowledgebase still needs to be updated on a regular basis to respond to the growing versatility and challenges of the modern sports.

Objective of the study was to provide theoretical grounds for the original typology of sports values based on the individual and social attitudes to the modern sports.

Study results and discussion. The modern sports values and senses are highly versatile and volatile, and their typology may be developed largely based on the ideal typing method well-developed by the modern axiology (M. Veber, A. Shuts) to highlight the core axiological strategies of a sporting activity. The proposed typology is based on the individual and social attitudes to the modern world on the whole and sports in particular. We would offer the following three analytical approaches considering (1) sports as a condition; (2) sports as a tool; and (3) sports as a purpose; that imply the following three basic axiological strategies applicable in sports: traditionalism, utilitarianism and creativism.

Traditionalism is generally driven by the world being viewed as a condition, i.e. a system behind the processes in nature and society perceived as an unshakable tradition imposed by some superior power. Axiology of traditionalism is developed based on a few system-forming world outlooks dominated by cosmo-centrism and teocentrism, with the sporting activity largely driven by the relevant mythological and religious motivations. It should be noted that the traditionalistic sport values still dominate in the traditional societies. In the ancient oriental civilizations, for instance, sports were considered as governed by beliefs, rituals and magic; during the ancient Olympic Games they were considered much as sacred practices; and medieval tournaments of knights were since some point closely related to the crusades.

Utilitarianism is generally driven by the world on the whole and sporting activity in particular being perceived as tools, with the principle of benefit or utility (interpreted in one or another way) playing the pivotal role. Utilitarianism in its most primitive form tends to interpret sports as the instruments or functions designed to attain economical, political and popular rather than purely sporting goals. These highly self-interested attitudes are corrupt in their origins and outcomes since they effectively result in the modern sports being degraded and turned into simulacrums. Developed forms of utilitarianism, as opposed to the primitive ones, tend to accept a wider scope of sport process benefits including those related to the humanistic ideals of the social and individual progress. In this context, it comes to the idea of different social and communal group interests being duly respected and harmonized for efficient regulation and design of modern sports. Axiology of the developed utilitarianism is developed on such core world outlooks as socio-centrism and anthropocentrism with the sport processes seen from the viewpoint of the general social and individual benefits. It should be noted that the utilitarian sport values and senses are still in high priority in the modern industrial societies with sports being ranked among the base elements of mass culture and social institutions.

Creativism is generally driven by the world on the whole and sporting activity in particular being perceived as a purpose or a core value in its own right rather than a tool for some accomplishment or condition. In the context of the creative vision, the traditional and utilitarian ideas of the sacred, magical, social and functional purposes of sports are no more paramount since the sporting activity is largely perceived as a creative process. It is also important that creativism considers the freedom of creativity among the obligatory elements of the doctrine. It should be noted, however, that as far as a sport is considered a value in its own right, such an attitude gives no way for freedom being interpreted as self-will. Moreover, modern creativism makes a special emphasis on responsibility in sports as determined by the key design principle of creativism that is the principle of dialogism – that means the goal-setting based on a dialogue of traditions and innovations, collectivism and individualism, material and spiritual values. Dialogism may be described as the sports self-structuring mechanism or the key policy for settlement of disputes and disagreements. Modern creative sports values and senses are given a reasonable priority by the modern post-industrial societies [2] with the sports being viewed as an indispensable component of the human capital referring to the individual creative abilities and opportunities.

Conclusion. The proposed typology may be viewed as the research instrument applicable for analysis of the modern sporting processes that offers new opportunities for different sports development strategies being analysed to rate their destructive/ constructive potentials and the relevant regressive/ progressive trends. The dominating primitive utilitarian attitudes to the modern sports may be reformed by a higher priority being given to the developed utilitarianism cultivation projects viewed as an interim stage on the way to creativism.

References

1. Klaus V. Meier (1984) Axiological Issues and Sport. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport,vol. 11, no. 1.p.1-5.
2. Pope S.W. (1998) Sport History: Into the 21st Century. Journal of the of the Sport history, vol. 25, no. 2. p. 1-9.

Corresponding author: mimus.lena@mail.ru

Abstract

The article considers values and senses of modern sports in the context of the modern sport axiology that, in our opinion, offers promising research avenues still underexplored by the modern national science. The study subject is highly relevant in view of the ambiguous role played by sports in the modern world. We offer a typing system of our own design to develop a typology of the basic sports values, with the typing system being based on the individual and social attitudes to sports largely reflective of the general attitudes to the modern world on the whole. The analysis makes it possible to classify the sport values into the following three domains: traditionalism that puts every sporting activity within the frame of existing traditions; utilitarian domain (utilitarianism) that considers every sporting activity driven by its utility or benefits; and the creative domain (creativism) that considers every sporting activity from a creative viewpoint, with an equal and constructive dialogue being established as a key principle of its self-management. The proposed frame typology may be considered and applied as a research tool to analyse the sporting life of any society. The research data generated by the typing model may be applied to warn about and prevent potential destructive trends in one or another sector of the sporting life and find solutions for its developmental problems.