Norbert Elias's concept of the ‘drag-effect': implications for the study of the relationship between national identity and sport

Abstract

In this paper Norbert Elias's (1991) concept of the 'drag-effect' is argued to be important for exploring the complexities of the relationship between national identity and sport. Elias's distinct sociological perspective is briefly outlined before the importance of Elias's drag-effect is considered alongside other much more popular concepts commonly used in the study of nationalism and sport. The concept of the drag-effect is then applied to help make sense of the relationship between contemporary English national identity and sport, using specific examples from the sport of association football. Future researchers are encouraged to make greater use of Elias's drag-effect for studying the complex relationships between other national identities and sports. Introduction: The sociological perspective of Norbert EliasElias's figurational or process sociological approach focused specifically on "how human beings and societies interconnect and develop" (Smith 2001, 1). Elias (1978, 15) contended that, "people make up webs of interdependence or figurations of many kinds, characterized by power balances of many sorts." These figurations are fluid and ever changing depending on the dynamics of the relationships people form and the situational context within which they exist. Elias (1978, 74) created what he termed 'game models' to help explain how power pervades in all human relationships.