The autonomy of modern sport: dangerous and endangered

Abstract

From the point of view of sociological theories of societal differentiation, modern sport is one of about a dozen differentiated sub-systems of modern society. This analytical perspective raises the question of the systemic autonomy of modern sport. This question shall be dealt with by distinguishing further the two differentiated second-order sub-systems of sport: top athletics and leisure sport. Whereas for top athletics a dangerous autonomy – in the final end, dangerous to itself - can be diagnosed, leisure sport is characterized by an endangered autonomy. Interestingly, coping with these two very different problems of sub-systemic autonomy relies on a mutually legitimating double interchange among top athletics and popular sports. Thus, both sub-systems of modern sport cannot exist without and separated from each other.