A Hermeneutic of Spectator Sport: The 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games

Abstract

This paper employs a theoretical framework articulated in an earlier Quest article to understand a particular sporting spectacle; at the same time, it suggests a specific method that might be used to support such a framework. The 1976 and 1984 Olympics—the two most recent games in which the United States participated—are examined in terms of six categories of symbolism: dramatization of recurring life issues, transcendence of human limitations, rebellion against industrialized society, spectatorship as an aesthetic experience, religious overtones, and political dimensions. Hermeneutics is shown to be a most desirable method for this kind of interpretive framework and is discussed in terms of its appropriateness, timeliness, and usefulness as an instrument of social critique.