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Abstract
This paper examines and applies the widely influential work of Boltanski and Thévenot in order to investigate and understand the political issues or disputes within sport. We provide a critical elaboration of Boltanski and Thévenot’s theory of the six ‘orders of worth’ or ‘worlds’ of justification that are drawn upon by social actors within these disputes. We examine how social actors may draw upon multiple justifications (or worlds) in order to advance their positions or interests; how power differences arise between these worlds; and, how weak worlds of justification may extend their influence within specific issues. To elaborate our analysis, we discuss the public issue of Olympic bidding and hosting, and how key social actors or stakeholders (such as local and national governments, event sponsors, and sport bodies) draw on different worlds of justification, particularly in advocating the staging of these events. This issue indicates that the six worlds are organized hierarchically into three ‘levels of worth’: the market, fame, and domestic worlds are the most prominent, while civic world arguments have least influence. These power differentials are reflected further in the criticisms and compromises that arise between the civic world and other worlds. We conclude by examining how civic world justifications may be accorded greater prominence within sport and other public issues, such as those relating to Olympic bidding and hosting.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the journal editors and two referees for their helpful comments, criticisms and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. We thank referee 2 in particular for suggestions in the conclusion here on ‘tests of strength’. Also, we would like to thank Gisle Andersen at the University of Bergen, for useful comments on an early draft of the paper.
Disclosure statement
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.
Notes on contributors
Richard Giulianotti, (PhD Aberdeen, 1996) is a Professor of Sociology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, and also a Professor at the University College of Southeast Norway (Telemark campus). His main research interests are in the fields of sport, globalization, development and peace, sport mega-events, crime and deviance, cultural identities, and qualitative methods. He is the author of the books Football: A Sociology of the Global Game (Polity 1999); Sport: A Critical Sociology (Polity 2005; revised edition, 2015); Ethics, Money and Sport (with Adrian Walsh; Routledge 2007); Globalization and Football (with Roland Robertson; Sage 2009); and, Policing the 2012 London Olympics (with Gary Armstrong and Dick Hobbs; Routledge, 2016). He has recently edited The Handbook of the Sociology of Sport (Routledge, 2015); he has edited many other books, and published numerous articles in international journals and edited books. His work has been translated and published in a dozen languages. Loughborough University, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Leicestershire, UK, LE11 3TU, Tel. +44 (0)1509 226350, E-mail: [email protected]
Tommy Langseth, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sports and Outdoor Life Studies at the University College of Southeast Norway. He holds a Cand. Polit. degree in sociology from the University of Bergen and a PhD from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. His recent publications in English include “B.A.S.E. jumping: beyond the thrills”, European Journal for Sport and Society (2012) and “Liquid ice surfers: the construction of surfer identities in Norway”, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning (2012). Langseth’s research has focused on processes of recognition in sport subcultures and the social aspects of risk taking. University College of Southeast Norway, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sports and Outdoor Life Studies, Hallvard Eikas plass, N-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway. Tel: + 47 35952760, E-mail: [email protected]
Notes
1 See, for example, the large volume by Susen & Turner (Citation2014); papers by Pecoraro & and Uusitalo (Citation2014), Nielsen (Citation2014) and Karsenti (2014); special issues of European Journal of Social Theory (2011) and Thesis XI (2014), devoted to Boltanski’s work; and, several heavily -cited translated texts (Boltanski, Citation2011, Citation2012; Boltanski & Chiapello, Citation2005a; Boltanski & Thévenot, Citation2006.