Nationalismi kansakuntien urheilukohtaamisissa

Abstract

Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan nationalismin (valtiollisen/etnisen) ja urheilun välistä suhdetta. Artikkeli jakautuu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäisessä käsitellään tiiviisti tutkimuskirjallisuuden kautta nationalismin ilmenemisen eri muotoja - valtiollista ja etnistä nationalismia - niiden yhtäläisyyksiä ja eroavaisuuksia sekä nationalismia ideologiana, valtaa ja sen käyttöä urheilunationalismissa Tämä muodostaa teoreettisen viitekehyksen toisen osan tapausesimerkeille. Toisessa osassa tarkastellaan esimerkkitapauksien kautta nationalismin ilmenemistapoja valtioiden välisissä urheilukohtaamisissa. Tapausesimerkit edustavat eri maita ja maiden välisiä kohtaamisia, eri lajeja ja eri aikakausia. Kysymyksiä tarkastellaan aineistolähtöisesti selvittämällä, millaisia nationalistisia piirteitä artikkeliin valituissa tapausesimerkeissä urheiluun voi liittyä. Artikkeli perustuu lähestymistavaltaan lähilukuun: lähdeaineistona olevia tekstejä on luettu ja niistä on kerätty havaintoja, miten nationalismi voi ilmetä urheilussa. Kuinka nationalismiin liitetty symboliikka, retoriikka ja konkreettinen toiminta ilmenee esimerkkitapauksissa? Tapauksissa tuodaan esille nationalismin eri ilmenemistapoja urheilumaailmassa. Niissä painottuu nationalistinen ajattelu konfliktitilanteissa. Tapausten kuvauksissa primaariaineiston muodostavat aikalaismediassa olleet kirjoitukset. Ne kuvastavat kuinka aikalaiset ovat kuvanneet tapahtumia ja kertoneet niistä sekä millaisia nationalismia ilmentäviä ilmaisuja he ovat käyttäneet.

The article has examined state and ethnic nationalism. State nationalism emphasizes the importance of citizenship and the state and the interaction between them. Ethnic nationalism on the other hand, emphasizes' a common history _and culture as the basis of nationalism. Although state and ethnic nationalism emphasize different things, they also have things in common: the reformist message of both aims either to achieve national sovereignty or to preserve it. In any case, they cannot be strictly separated, because the history and culture, emphasized by ethnic nationalism, may also include political traditions and traditions that are strictly part of the content of state nationalism. State and ethnic nationalism can provide an idea of the manifestations of nationalism, but they do not tell the whole truth about nationalism. It is a much broader idea. In addition to the considered forms of nationalism, there are other manifestations of nationalism. The manifestations of nationalism are not only influenced by, for instance, what the idea emphasizes as the basis of national sovereignty or how a nation is defined. Instead, the manifestations of nationalism also depend on where in the world it manifests itself. Although nationalism could be categorized into a rough main category, such. as state nationalism or ethnic nationalism, the idea appears differently in different contexts. The historical trajectory of different regions has shaped nationalism and incorporated local characteristics into the idea. This also applies to nationalism in sport. It is not a clearly definable whole, but a tapestry of several different manifestations. Nationalism itself, like sports nationalism, should therefore not be understood as a mere idea. When attention is paid to nationalism in sport, state and ethnic nationalism are emphasized. The international sports system has favoured "playing sports under national flags". That is why nationalism and sport are closely intertwined. Sport has been a keyway of forming and strengthening national identity. However, the impact of nationalism on sport has not been limited to creating a 'new' nation and national identity. Sport has been a way of expressing national identity in situations where it has not been possible otherwise. Sports nationalism has been state-creating, and it has emphasized ethnic/national cohesion. For instance, when Russian athletes were banned from wearing national emblems, nationalist divisions, even confrontation, came to light from the Russians. It is division between We and They. On the other hand, small states have historically perceived Soviet (Russian) policy as a threat to their national sovereignty. This has introduced strong nationalist elements into sport, as sport has been politicized to support the state interest. What was not possible to achieve with the help of power politics was carried out on the sports front. Especially during the Cold War, clashes at sporting events experienced strong emotional charges, which could even erupt as irregular activities. However, nationalist confrontation did not only occur when ideologically different countries or superpowers met with small neighbors, but there were/are also nationalist sentimental charges between 'fraternal nations' or 'good neighbors'. The relationship between sport and nationalism has not disappeared by the standards of state nationalism. For instance, the organization of sporting events has been considered to improve the image of states. Today, however, nationalism in sport is not based solely on state action. The nationalist experience has also become a key feature. Solutions in sport have been justified by subjective experiences that have included nationalist characteristics.