Sport and national pride: a literature review

Abstract

Introduction: national pride is a person’s psychological self-evaluation of their nation. National pride has many benefits for the survival of a nation. A thing that influences national pride is sports. Achievements in sports achieved by a country can increase the national pride of its citizens. Objective: this study explores how sports shape a person’s national pride. Methodology: using a comprehensive literature review approach, this study explores the results of previous studies in answering the antecedents and consequences of national pride in the context of sports. Twenty-one articles on national pride and sports were studied in this research. Then, the researcher narrates the results of these studies. Most of the articles included in the study used a cross-sectional approach and were studied in the context of European countries. Results: the results show that national pride in sports fluctuates more than other sources of national pride. Major sports events play an essential role in shaping the national pride of the citizens of a country. Demographic variables such as gender, education level, income, age, race, and ethnicity also influence a person’s national pride. It was also found that the positive impact of national pride is the formation of well-being. On the other hand, the role of the media and family in forming national pride in sports has not been explored much. Conclusions: athletes' and political achievements play an important role in shaping national pride. In addition, national pride can improve a person's subjective well-being. National pride has a positive correlation with demographics, economic and educational levels, family status, gender, age, race, and even ethnicity.