Introduction to the History of Sport PDF

Didactic Unit I. Introduction Topic 1. Introduction to the History of Sport History of Sports Prof. Dr. Alejandro Leiva Arcas Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences  What is History? A mistaken belief is that history is simply the nar...

Didactic Unit I. Introduction Topic 1. Introduction to the History of Sport History of Sports Prof. Dr. Alejandro Leiva Arcas Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences  What is History? A mistaken belief is that history is simply the narration of events that have taken place in the past. History (RAE, 2010): "The set of political, social, economic, cultural, etc. events or facts of a people or a nation". Three temporal dimensions to be taken into account in historical analysis: 2  Understand Knowing Planning for ing the the past the future present History as a tool: History is an analytical tool whose utility can be extended to other fields. Through the use of the scientific method, History analyses events that have already happened in order to obtain reasoned and critical interpretations. Knowing, interpreting and drawing conclusions are fundamental parts of the historical Scientific method applied to history 3 Subjetc and object of study in History The subject of the study of history is the human being, both individually and collectively. The object of study is all the areas surrounding mankind, which are evaluated through historical facts (any action or event in the past with a relevant impact). The topics of historical interest are wide and varied: society, culture, economy, art, politics... and of course sport. 4 Kathrine Switzer Boston Marathon 1967 5 Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games First edition of the women's 800m race event at the Olympic Games. Great opposition from coaches, doctors and even the International Olympic Committee for considering it "inhuman" and "contrary to women's bodies". Some participants fainted at the finish line and women's race over 200m were banned until Rome 1960. 6 Kathrine Switzer Constantina Dita-Tomescu Boston Beijing 4h20m 2h26m 38 years old 7 Sources for the knowledge of history The set of artefacts, documents, testimonies or representations that provide information to the historians are called sources. They are divided into direct, indirect, primary and secondary sources. Direct sources: all those produced by past societies themselves with the clear intention of recording their own history (memoirs, funerary inscriptions, newspapers, magazines, almanacs, etc.). Indirect sources: all those material productions of past societies which had no direct intention of recording their history and which must be analysed and interpreted by historians. 8  Example of a direct source Check all the official reports of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Official report of the Amsterdam Olympics 1928. 9 Examples of indirect sources Etruscan man running or dancing Tomb of the Augurs Italy. 4th century BC. Giraffe in Ancient Egypt Tomb of Rekhmire Circa 1500 BC 10 Sources for the knowledge of history Primary sources: all types of material that has been produced by the society that is the topic of study in a historical research. Secondary sources: all those works, research or publications produced after the period under study. 11 Examples: Primary source Secondary source Book of the Games of Schenk, D. (2011). The Alfonso X "The Wise". 1252 Inmortal Game: a History of AD. Chess. Souvenir Press 12 Divisions of History Sumerian tablet with cuneiform script 13 14 Approaches to the study of history Diachronic: studies the past of a society as a whole, integrating all the facts in order to understand the evolution of structures, ideas and behaviours and thus understand the transformations that have taken place. Synchronic: the study of history is undertaken at a specific moment, analysing each of its individual aspects. 15 History of Sport Pérez y Verdes (1997) "The history of physical activities examines, explains and understands Physical Education and Sports in their multiple relationships with past and contemporary cultures". SPORT (from old French desport ("amusement"). 1. Physical activity, exercised as a game or competition, the practice of which involves training and the following of rules. 2. Recreation, pastime, pleasure, amusement or physical exercise, usually in the open air. 17 Terminological aspects What is the difference? Physical activity Any movement of the body produced by skeletal muscles that involves an expenditure of energy above the basal level. Physical exercise Planned, structured and repetitive physical activity with the aim of obtaining physical and psychological improvement. Free and usually spontaneous action carried out for entertainment according to a Game number of rules, pre-established or improvised, and which has a limited duration. Discipline that covers everything related to the integral formation of the individual Physical education through the use of human motor skills. Formal sport in which sequences of exercises requiring strength, flexibility, agility Gymnastics and gracefulness are performed. 18  What are the limits of sport? SPORT Closed focus Open Focus Sport as a regulated, All forms of activities competitive and (organised or not) aiming institutionalised at physical or psychological physical activity that improvement seeks maximum performance. 19 Physical and sporting activities in prehistoric societies 20 Emergence of standing The emergence of the standing or erect walking marks the beginning of mankind. Standing upright was not due to a single cause, but was a multi- causal phenomenon in which several adaptive advantages intervened. 21 22 Was there sport in prehistoric times? Prehistory has taken up 99% of our existence as a species. Although we had to wait until the Ancient Ages for the appearance of regulated sport, physical activities with a function have existed with human beings since their origins. However, the lack of sources makes it difficult to describe what activities prehistoric humans did and what their ultimate purpose or meaning was within their mental schemes. For this reason, three approaches to the knowledge of sport in prehistory have been carried out: 1. Historical theories 2. Archaeological method. 3. Anthropological method. 23 Theories on the origin of sport (i) East Germany (materialist/Marxist theory). Lukas & Eichel (1969) Aquí from Sport arises va tuthe ecuación preparation for Aquí va tu ecuación work and the struggle for survival. West Germany (biological theory). Neuendorff (1930) Eppensteiner (1964) Sport arises for the preparation for Aquí va tu ecuación Aquí va Three stimuli: tu ecuación defensive need, social the fight for survival and for the joy need and religious need. of movement. 24 Theories on the origin of sport (ii) West Germany (philosophical theory). Diem (1966) Popplow (1973) It comes from the culture of Sport Aquí arisesva tu culture from ecuación( games) Aquí va tu ecuación societies (games, dances, funeral and spirituality (dance). rites). United States (pedagogical theory). Van Dalem, Mitchell & Bennett (1953) Aquífrom Sport arises vaphysical tu ecuación education which Aquí va tu ecuación seeks security, cohesion and adaptation to the environment. 25  Aquí va tu ecuación Aquí va tu ecuación Aquí va tu ecuación Aquí va tu ecuación Pyramid of the hierarchy of human needs. Abraham Maslow (1943). 26 Archaeological method Information from the archaeological record of prehistory is extremely scarce. To this must be added the fact that the materials presumably used (sticks, ropes, fibres), easily fade away. Material with possible sporting connotations could have other functions depending on the interpretation given by the historian. Suspected "marbles". Orkney Islands, UK. 4000 BC. Bison carved in bone. Russia. 22,000 BC. These objects have also been interpreted as projectiles Toyor magical object? or as representations of celestial bodies. 27 Anthropological method Blanchard and Cheska’s theory (1986) In 1986, American anthropologists Kendall Blanchard and Alyce Cheska decided to compile the available information on primitive peoples (living or extinct) in order to catalogue and analyse the forms of sport in societies at less advanced stages of evolution. Not only did the researchers find a wide range of sport-physical practices, but they also discovered different "evolutionary axes of sport": Social identity: members of the same society play regardless of age or gender and regardless of the result. The function is to reinforce relationships. Adaptive or ecological significance: the game or sport acquires an economic function. The aim is to improve hunting, defence or fitness skills in order to prolong survival. 28 Specialisation: to detect "talent" among the individuals of the Case study The "Eskimo Games" World Eskimo-Indian Olympics | Preserving Survival and Cultural Traditions | Trans World Sport 29  Physical activities of prehistoric man a) Natural system: physical activities developed by the unavoidable acts of everyday life. Activity Application Improved physical condition Walking Search for food Endurance Running Hunting/running away Speed Jumping/climbing Advance/Collect Agility Lifting weights Transport/Construction Strength Swimming/diving Fishing Lung capacity b) Utilitarian system: activities performed with a non-economic function, e.g. dance. 30  Hunting was an exclusively male activity as Hunting reflected in cave art. Tools: bow, arrow, javelins, blowguns, slingshots, spear-throwers, boomerangs. Strategies: pursuit, stalking, traps, ambushes, poisoning. Discover in this QR how a prehistoric spear-thrower and is made and used. 31 Fishing Unlike hunting, fishing involved men, women and children. Tools: harpoon, hook, trident, box-shaped pots, canoe. Strategies: fishing on foot or by stalking, traps, dams in rivers or lakes. 32  Didactic Unit I. Introduction Topic 1. Introduction to the History of Sport History of Sports Prof. Dr. Alejandro Leiva Arcas Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences