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Sport and Society

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It has been remarked that sport is war without weapons. Whether one takes this statement positively or negatively, it seems undeniable, as Sports Studies authority Professor J. A. Mangan discusses here, that from a historical perspective sport is directly and inextricably bound up with war and militarism. Yet as the world grows both smaller and more complex under the influences of globalization, there is perhaps nothing that draws us together as visibly and powerfully as sport.

Besides its obvious beneficial effects on physical health, sport can act as a powerful inculcator of positive values and attitudes, as athletes themselves describe. Moreover, the positive effects of sport on mental health and well-being are felt not only by athletes but by fans too, as psychologists are discovering.

It is not surprising that individuals and organizations around the world have begun to recognize in sport a powerful vehicle for building peace, resolving conflict and for promoting social health and development. One can only hope that such a shift in the values represented by sport is evidence of a broader social shift toward a world in which all people can be winners in life.

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