Democratization Revisited: Seven Theses on the Democratization of Sport and Active Leisure

In recent years, sociologists and historians of sport appear to have paid little attention to the process of democratization. “Classes to masses” type statements are still heard, and the assumption persists that if the participants in a sport at some earlier time came from a higher social class than the current participants, then democratization has magically occurred. This paper represents an attempt to revive the concept of democratization by providing a more comprehensive definition, which includes the notion that democratization concerns far more than providing the opportunity to participate; by considering the actual processes by which democratization occurs, and the continuing barriers to democratization; and by considering the circumstances under which democratization should occur, and the advantages of increased democratization in sport and leisure.