Sport and the Political Economy: Considerations for Enhancing the Human Condition

This paper highlights how sport, at the elite level, has been commodified by global market forces. These forces have brought about a deep-seated and profound upheaval of previous economic, social, political and cultural arrangements, and behaviours toward sport, resulting in the moral and ethical base of sport being challenged as a ‘past practice’ reminiscent and a relic of the modern age. However, some scholars are concerned about the present global influence and are suggestive of ways in which such commodified changes can be regulated to protect sport’s social, educative and moral underpinnings. The paper targets suggestions for regulation of the political economy of sport and anchors those by drawing on education, particularly the philosophy of Olympism within physical education. In making those suggestions reinforcement is given for the need for sport, at whatever level, to uphold its value in enhancing the human condition.