Sport e capitalismo monopolistico. Immagini dalla tradizione della teoria critica dello sport

This paper aims to analyse the most noteworthy theoretical contributions of the critical theory of sport and its reflections on the relationship between sport and monopoly capitalism in the twentieth century. These contributions provide us with an image of the main characteristics of monopoly capitalism, through the mirror of sport, and of the view through which Marxist critics have selected primary themes, problems and arguments. The main thematic focuses are: sport as a central area of industry, in the twentieth century, where capital was able to seek new markets; the capitalist mode of sport production with its productive, social and power relations; the homology between sport and work, characterized by alienation; the use of sport as an ideological, repressive and socializing tool. A fundamental need, expressed by critical theorists, is to emancipate individuals from all the multiple forms of domination that they find in the synergy between sport and monopoly capitalism.