The initial post-authoritarian period in Portugal (197482) and Spain (197582): A suitable framework for a sports democratization process of shared similarities and characteristics

Abstract

In an international context of economic recession, a transitional process towards democracy in Portugal (1974) and Spain (1975) began within the framework of the third wave of democratization. Until then, the Portuguese and Spanish dictatorships had conditioned the political, social and economic development of both countries and prevented, for instance, the adoption of a welfare state model. Similarly, the spread of sport among the population was postponed for several decades. The development of a separate transition process facilitated the incorporation of sport among the habits of the population. In this process, the association movement and governmental sports policies were very important, the latter mainly after the approval of the Portuguese Republic Constitution (1976) and the Spanish Constitution (1978). This article aims to highlight some key similarities and common features of the development and dissemination of sport during Portugal's Ongoing Revolutionary Process (197476) and first constitutional governments (197682) and the Spanish Transition to Democracy (197582).