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The aspirations of Olympism revisited
Citation
Aplin, N. (1995, July). The aspirations of Olympism revisited [Paper presentation]. 35th ICHPER.SD World Congress, Florida, USA.
Author
Aplin, Nick
Abstract
Olympism can be perceived as a set of guiding principles for the conduct of sport in general. The aspirations, upon which de Coubertin based his philosophy, include goals for education, international understanding, equal opportunity, fair and equal competition, cultural expression, independence, and excellence. As such, these aspirations contain inherent tensions and inconsistencies. In the light of recent examinations of universal value types (Schwartz and Bilsky, 1987, 1990; Schwartz, 1992, 1994), it is possible to identify the theoretical nature of one of the major conflicts within Olympism, that which exists between sport for all and sports excellence. This paper uses Schwartz' (1994) models to explain the relationships between compatible values such as universalism and benevolence, and conflicting values such as achievement and benevolence, which can be identified within the philosophy of Olympism. Data drawn from current research in Singapore is used to illustrate the structure of value systems.
Date Issued
July 1995