Although not often studied, sport can be an important agency for developing a national consensus. This paper examines how the North Yemen government has used sports to promote political integration. Existing clubs were consolidated into a national sports system. New clubs have been formed. There are now clubs in regions that had refused to accept government control. Analysis indicates that this expansion has extended into most areas of the country. Underlying the rapid growth of clubs is that they are voluntarily formed by local youth. Political integration has been possible because clubs are considered to be politically neutral. While clubs provide important links to the central government they have also become legitimate expressions of regionalism.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adedeji, J.A., 1979: "Social and cultural conflict in sport and games in developing countries" In: Int. Rev. Sport Sociology14 (1), pp. 81-88.
2.
Africa Confidential, 1988: "Kenya: Own goal" In: Africa Confidential29 (7), p. 8.
3.
Almond, Gabriel A. and G. Bingham Powell , Jr., 1966: "Comparative Politics: A Developmental Approach."Boston, Little, Brown and Company.
4.
al-'Amri, Husayn, 1983: "Children's games in San'a" In: R. B. Serjeant & R. Lewcock (eds.): San'a: An Arabian Islamic City.London: The World of Islam Festival Trust., pp. 525-528.
5.
Arbena, Joseph L., 1988: "Sport and the study of Latin American society: An overview" In: J. L. Arbena (ed.): Sport and Society in Latin America: Diffusion, Dependency, and the Rise of Mass Culture.Westport, CT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press, pp. 1-14.
6.
Beamish, Roy, 1985: "Sport executives and voluntary associations: A review of the literature and introduction to some theoretical issues" In: Soc. of Sport Journal2, pp. 218-232.
7.
Bedecki, Thomas, 1982: "Sport and nationalism" In: J. C. Pooley and C. A. Pooley (eds.): Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Comparative Physical Education and Sport (September 23-27, 1980). Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Dalhousie University Printing Centre, pp. 39-56.
8.
Blanchard, Kendall and Alyce T. Cheska, 1985: "The Anthropology of Sports: An Introduction". South Hadley, MA., U.S.A.: Begin and Garvey Publishers.
9.
Booth, Bernard F., 1982: "Games, sport and societal autonomy" In: Int. Soc. Sci. Journal34 (2), pp. 219-232.
10.
Booth, Bernard F., 1984: "Sport, political autonomy and international understanding." In: M. Ilmarinen (ed.): Sport and International Understanding.Berlin, Springer-Verlag, pp. 92-98.
11.
Boulogne, Yves Pierre, 1966: "Physical education in Tunisia 1956-1966: Ten years effort" In: Int. Rev. of Sport Sociology1, pp. 261-265.
12.
Brockmann, Dieter, 1969: "Sport as an integrating factor in the countryside" In: Int. Rev. of Sport Sociology4, pp. 151-175.
13.
Burrowes, Robert D., 1987: "The Yemen Arab Republic: The politics of development, 1962-1986."Boulder, CO., U.S.A.: Westview Press.
14.
Carapico, Sheila H., 1984: "The Political Economy of Self-Help: Development Cooperatives in the Yemen Arab Republic."Ann Arbor, MI., U.S.A.: University Microfilms Int.
Cheska, Alyce T. , 1979: "Native American games as strategies of societal maintenance" In: C. Farrer and E. Norbeck, (eds.): Forms of Play of North Americans, St. Paul, MN., U.S.A.: West, pp. 227-247.
19.
Cheska, Alyce T., 1984: "Sports as ethnic boundary maintenance: A case of the American Indian." In: Int. Rev. for Soc. of Sport19 (3/4), pp. 241-257.
20.
Clignet, Rémi and Maureen Stark, 1974a: "Modernisation and football in Cameroun" In: Journal of Modern African Studies12 (3), pp. 409-421.
21.
Clignet, Rémi and Maureen Stark, 1974b "Modernization and the game of soccer in Cameroun" In: Int. Rev. of Sport Sociology9(3-4), pp. 81-96.
22.
Cohen, John M. and Mary Hébert, David B. Lewis, and Jon C. Swanson, 1981: "Development from below: Local development associations in the Yemen Arab Republic" In: World Development9(11-12), pp. 1039-1061.
23.
Eichberg, Henning, 1984: "Olympic sport - Neocolonialism and alternatives" In: Int. Rev. forSoc. of Sport19 (1), pp. 97-106.
24.
Eleyae, Awoture,1980: "Sport and physical education in Nigeria". In: W. Johnson (ed.): Sport and Physical Education Around the World.Champaign, IL., U.S.A.: Stipes Publishing Co, pp. 460-479.
25.
Frogner, Eli, 1985: "On ethnic sports among Turkish migrants in the Federal Republic of Germany" In: Int. Rev. for the Soc. of Sport20 (1), pp. 75-86.
26.
Galtung, J., 1984: "Sport and international understanding: Sport as a carrier of deep culture and structure" In: M. Ilmarinen (ed.): Sport and International Understanding. Berlin , Springer-Verlag, pp. 12-19.
27.
Geertz, Clifford, 1963: "The integrative revolution: Primordial sentiments and civil politics in new states" In: C. Geertz (ed.): Old Societies and New States: The Quest for Modernity in Asia and Africa.Glencoe, IL., U.S.A.: The Free Press, pp. 105-57.
28.
Ibrahim, Hilmi M. and Nahed F. Asker, 1984: "Ideology, politics and sport in Egypt." In: Leisure Studies3, pp. 97-106.
29.
Jonassen, Christen T., 1974: "Functions of voluntary associations in developing nations" In: Rural Sociology39(4), pp. 529-535.
30.
Kennedy, John G., 1987: The Flower of Paradise: The Institutionalized Use of the Drug Oat in North YemenDordrecht, Holland: D. Reidel Publishing Co.
31.
Kerri, James Nwannukwu, 1976: "Studying voluntary associations as adaptive mechanisms: A review of anthropological perspectives" In: Current Anthropology17. pp. 23-47.
Kyröläinen, Hannu and Varis Tapio, 1981: "Approaches to the study of sports in international relations." In: Current Research on Peace and Violence4 (1): pp. 55-88.
34.
Lever, Janet, 1988: "Sport in a fractured society: Brazil under military rule" In: J. L. Arbena (ed.): Sport and Society in Latin America: Diffusion, Dependency, and the Rise of Mass Culture. Westport, CT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press, pp. 85-96.
35.
Lopez Von Vriessen, C., 1984 : "Some recreational and social sporting activities of the Mapuche Indians in the south of Chile." In: M. Illmarinen (ed.): Sport and International Understanding. Berlin , Springer-Verlag, pp. 339-344.
36.
al-Marwani , Ahamad Husayn, 1987: "Speech to al-Ahli Club for Sport and Culture"San'a, Y.A.R., February 25, 1987.
37.
Moolenijzer, Nicolaas J. and Sieswanpo, 1980: "Sport and physical education in Indonesia" In: W. Johnson (ed.): Sport and Physical Education Around the World.Champaign, IL., U.S.A.: Stipes Publishing Co, pp. 315-339.
38.
Ogunbiyi, Daniel O., 1978: The Development of Nigeria's Participation in International Sport Competition and its Effects on the NationAnn Arbor , MI, University Microfilms Int.
39.
Pooley, John C. , 1976: "Ethnic soccer clubs in Milwaukee: A study in assimilation" In: M. Hart (ed.): Sport in the Sociocultural Process.Dubuque, IA., U.S.A.: Wm. C. Brown Co. Pub. , pp. 475-492.
40.
Roberts, John M., Malcolm J. Arth, and Robert R. Bush, 1959: "Games in culture." In: American Anthropologist61, pp. 597-605.
41.
Rosenstiel, Annette, 1977: "The role of traditional games in the process of socialization among the Motu of Papua New Guinea" In: D. F. Lancy and B. A. Tindall, (eds.): The Study of Play: Problems and Prospects . West Point, NY, U.S.A.: Leisure Books , pp. 64-69.
42.
Seban, Martha M., 1976: "Political ideology and sport in the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union" In: M. Hart (ed.): Sport in the Sociocultural Process.Dubuque, IA., U.S.A. : Wm. C. Brown Co. Pub., pp. 306-316.
43.
Slack, Trevor, 1985: "The bureaucratization of a voluntary sport organization" In: Int. Rev. for the Soc. of Sport20 (3), pp. 145-166.
44.
Steffen, Hans, W. Dubach, U. Geiser, R. Schoch, E. Egli, and M. Fürer, 1978: "Final Report of the Airphoto Interpretation Project of the Swiss Technical Co-Operation Service, Berne"Zurich : Swiss Technical Co-Operation Service.
45.
Stein, Steve, 1988: "The case of soccer in early twentieth-century Lima" In: J. L. Arbena (ed.): Sport and Society in Latin America: Diffusion, Dependency, and the Rise of Mass Culture.Westport, DT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press, pp. 63-84.
46.
Stevenson, Thomas B., in press: "Yemen Arab Republic" In: E. A. Wagner (ed.): Sports in Asia and Africa: A Comparative Handbook.Westport, CT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press.
47.
Stokvis, R., 1982: "Conservative and progressive alternatives in the organization of sport" In: Int. Soc. Sci. Journal34(2), pp. 197-208.
48.
Supreme Council For Youth And Sports, (1983 ): "Anjazat al-Majlis al-Ac la lil-Shabab wal-Rivada, 1982-1983". [Accomplishments of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, 1982-1983]. (San'a, Y.A.R.).
49.
Supreme Council For Youth And Sports, 1987 : "Kashf andiya al-daraja alaula wal-thaniya wal-thalitha" [Roster of First, Second, and Third Division Sports Clubs. (San'a, Y.A.R.). mimeograph.
50.
Väyrynen, Raimo, 1984: "Nationalism and internationalism in sport." In: M. Ilmarinen (ed.): Sport and International Understanding.Berlin, Springer-Verlag, pp. 64-71.
51.
Vinokur, Martin B., 1983: "The Politics of Sports: A Comparison of How Governments Use Sports to Advance Political Integration"Ann Arbor, MI., U.S.A.: University Microfilms Int.
52.
Vinokur, Martin B., 1988: "More than a Game: Sports and Politics"Westport, CT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press.
53.
Wagner, Eric A., 1988: "Sport in revolutionary states: Cuba and Nicaragua" In: J. L. Arbena (ed.): Sport and Society in Latin America: Diffusion, Dependency, and the Rise of Mass Culture.Westport, CT., U.S.A.: Greenwood Press, pp. 113-136.
54.
Weir, Shelagh, 1985: "Oat in Yemen: Consumption and Social Change"London: British Museum Publications.
55.
Zabarah, Mohammed Ahmad, 1982: "Yemen: Traditionalism vs. Modernity"New York: Praeger Publishers.
