Politics of the active body

In this chapter we explore how sport and physical activity, in their many forms, intersect with poli tics. For many of you, the term “politics” is likely associated with elections, campaigning, voting, and the institutions and organizations of governments. As a consequence, you may think that politics has very little to do with sport and physical activity. Certainly, the world of politicians, parliaments, and policy making seems a long way removed from watching your favorite team on television, playing a pickup game in the park, or training at your local gym. If politics is concerned with important matters like passing legislation, whereas sport and physical activity are things we watch or do for fun and enjoyment, how could they be related? In this chapter, we suggest the answer lies in thinking differently about politics. To use a term introduced in chapter 1, we need to think critically about what we mean by “politics.” This entails questioning our assumptions and going beyond our everyday, commonsense understandings. More specifically, we argue that by thinking more broadly about what politics is, where and how politics takes place, and who and what can be political, we can begin to see that politics is an inherent feature of our day-to-day lives—including physical culture. Politics shapes what we play, where we play, how we play, and why we play; and, though we might like to think otherwise, our active bodies are always, inescapably, political.