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Abstract
Interstate rivalries are central to international security relations. Although some students may have previously thought about the concept of rivalry in regard to interstate interactions, more commonly, students may have thought about rivalry in relation to sports or some other social context. Here I demonstrate how discussing sports rivalries can serve as a means through which to introduce the concept of interstate rivalry in the classroom. Examining dimensions of rivalry (such as issue competition and temporal dependence) in relation to sports and interstate rivalry subtypes can illustrate similarities and differences across contexts, thereby sharpening conceptual clarity. Discussing the concept of rivalry through reference to sports, furthermore, can stimulate interest and provide students with a basis from which to properly conceptualize rivalry phenomena.
Notes
On the multidimensional nature of social science concepts, see Goertz (Citation2006).
On positional rivalries, see Thompson (Citation1995, Citation2001).
On multi-state rivalry, see Valeriano and Powers (Citation2010).