Why do Americans transform every type of play into competitive contests? Americans have institutionalized sport and recreation as an embodiment of national values. The nexus of these values is the Protestant ethic which emphasizes moral asceticism, rational labour, goal directed behaviour, and competitive achievement. This ethic has engendered the spirit and creed of American sport, labelled the American sport ethos. This ethos which has influenced many different sports with the result that Americans work at their play and imbue their feats with moral import. This Protestant ethic promoted the spirit of capitalism and a free market economy so it obliged both institutions and individuals to define their worth in terms of economic success. Thus capitalism transformed American sport into a business and athletes into professionals.
- ISBN10 185972387X
- ISBN13 9781859723876
- Publish Date 13 February 1997
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 27 January 2003
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Imprint Avebury
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 396
- Language English