Sport as a social phenomenon

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to develop a theoretical and methodological justification for the pedagogy of sport as an independent direction in the scientific study of general pedagogy. Methods include the analysis of the socio-cultural phenomenon of “sport (sport activity)” using the conceptual provisions of social philosophy, the sociology of labor and the socio-cultural concept of health formative education (Yu. V.Naumenko). Results. The socio-cultural difference of close (but not related) phenomena of “physical culture” and “sport (sports activity)” is substantiated in the paper. A new socio-cultural interpretation of the concepts of “sport (sports activity)”, “sports competitions” and “sports training” as manifestations of the universal human culture is proposed. The content of humanistic, creative and value-regulating functions of sports (sports activity) as a part of the universal culture is revealed. The author describes the person-oriented and the resource-pragmatic attitudes to sport (sports activity) and their manifestation in practice (in particular, in relation to children’s sports). It is proved that the socio-cultural phenomenon of “sport (sports activity)” is a manifestation of labor (professional) activity in the social and humanitarian sphere, which is both a subject to the general laws of labor activity and possesses specific features. The object and subject of studying the pedagogy of sports (sports activity) as an independent direction of general pedagogy are formulated. The research problem and theoretical and practical tasks of sports pedagogy (sports activity) are specified.