Recognition in sport: love, rights and solidarity

Abstract

The main research question in this thesis is why sport morally matters, or, reframed in Honneth’s terminology, what is the potential of sport as a sphere for recognition? I have argued for the relevance of Honneth’s theory in order to gain insight into sport and its value both to athletes and to society. Honneth seeks a description of human agency that is constituted and maintained through intersubjective relationships. To individuals, receiving recognition in three forms, love, rights and solidarity, is vital for developing basic self-confidence, self-respect, and self-esteem. These forms of ‘practical relation-to-self’ are essential for identity-formation and autonomy, as well as being prerequisites for self-realization (Honneth, 1995, p. 129). Since recognition is intersubjective, it has to be mutual in order to be a manifestation of recognition. It therefore also affects a person’s relationship to other persons. Paper 1 seeks to answer the research question by discussing the three forms of recognition, or the lack of them, within sport. Paper 2 discusses the concept of love within sport. Paper 3 discusses the concept of rights within sport. Paper 4 discusses the concept of solidarity within sport.

Paper I: Andersen, W. (2015). Love, rights, and solidarity: sports’ potential for recognition. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research 2015, 68(1), 23-33

Paper II: Andersen, W. (not published). Is there a place for love in sport? Reflections based on a case study from boxing

Paper III: Andersen, W., & Loland, S. (2016). Jumping for recognition: women's ski jumping viewed as a struggle for rights. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports (Article first published online: 19 Feb 2016. DOI: 10.1111/sms.12662)

Paper IV: Andersen, W., & Loland, S. (2015). Sport and the obligation of solidarity. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 2015, 9(3), 243-256