Modeling the Role of Sport in The Process of National Identity Formation

On the one hand, sport has been a ground for the creation, development, and influence of the national culture and nationality, and on the other hand, the identity-seeking governments and movements contributed to the improvement, development, and influence of the modern sport. This study aimed to investigate the role of sport in the process of formation of national identity. To answer the fundamental question of the study as how national identity affected and was impacted by the sport in Iran, an in-depth interview was conducted with 28 experts, university professors, and athletes regarding such concepts as the national pride, ideology consolidation, political propaganda, and so on. Using a qualitative methodology and semantic interpretation of participants’ responses, the present study embarked on the construction of a story trend through the extraction of concepts, and it presented a theoretical model for the relationship between national identity and sport. The results of the study indicated that, as a phenomenon, sport can move along with the improvement of national correlation and, through creating the national pride as well as linking the minority’s interests to the majority body, it can bring about the unity and correlation inside the country and show of strength at the international level.