How did sport develop from pre-industrial pastimes into the organised, global activity we know today?
The relationship between sport, culture and society, and the historical development of sport from pre-industrial through post-industrial Britain to the modern global game.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on sport and society, covering the meaning of sport, the social and cultural functions it serves, and the historical development of sport from pre-industrial folk games through the rational recreation of the industrial era to the modern global game.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to explain what is meant by sport and the place it holds in culture and society, the functions it performs, and how sport developed historically from pre-industrial folk games, through the rational recreation of the industrial era, into the organised modern game. You should be able to contrast the features of sport in each period and explain what drove the change.
Sport, culture and society
It helps to separate three related terms. Play is spontaneous, freely chosen and for its own enjoyment. Physical activity is any bodily movement that uses energy. Sport adds structure: rules, competition, organisation and the chance of an extrinsic reward. The more institutionalised and competitive an activity, the more it counts as sport.
The functions sport performs
Sport is not just recreation. It performs identifiable functions for the individual and for society:
Sport can also reproduce inequalities (by class, gender or ethnicity), which is why access and participation are studied alongside its benefits.
Pre-industrial sport: folk games
Before the Industrial Revolution, sport in Britain took the form of folk (or mob) games and the pursuits of the gentry. Their features followed directly from the society of the time.
- Occasional, tied to holy days and festivals such as Shrove Tuesday, not weekly.
- Local, because poor transport limited play to the immediate area, with rules varying from village to village.
- Few and unwritten rules, so games were disorganised and could be violent.
- Class divided: rough mob games for the lower classes; refined, expensive pursuits (real tennis, fox hunting) for the upper classes.
- Rural and simple, using natural spaces and basic equipment.
Post-industrial sport: rational recreation
The Industrial Revolution (from the late 18th century) transformed the conditions of life, and sport changed with them. The new, ordered form of sport is called rational recreation.
The public schools were central. Through the cult of athleticism (combining physical endeavour with moral integrity) they took the folk games, civilised them, wrote codified rules, and spread them through old boys, universities and the new governing bodies.
The modern global game
By the 20th and 21st centuries sport had become professional, commercialised and worldwide: leagues and world championships, broadcast to global audiences, funded by sponsorship and media. This sets up the rest of the unit (commercialisation, the media, globalisation, ethics and deviance), which all describe the modern game.
Examples in context
Example 1. Shrove Tuesday football. Annual, village-wide folk football illustrates pre-industrial sport: occasional, local, lawless and rough. It contrasts directly with the codified, weekly league game that rational recreation produced.
Example 2. The Football Association, 1863. The writing of a single set of rules by a national governing body shows codification in action, turning a varied folk game into an organised sport that teams across the country could play fairly.
Try this
Q1. Give two features of pre-industrial folk games. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: occasional (tied to festivals), local, few or unwritten rules, often violent, class divided, rural and simple.
Q2. Name three factors of the Industrial Revolution that led to rational recreation. [3 marks]
- Cue. Any three of: urbanisation (need for purpose-built facilities), set work and leisure time (the Saturday half-day), improved transport (railways), codification by the public schools and governing bodies, and more disposable income.
Q3. Explain one function that sport performs for society, with an example. [2 marks]
- Cue. For example social integration: sport unites communities and builds national identity, such as Wales supporters rallying behind the national rugby team.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC 20196 marksExplain how the Industrial Revolution changed sport in Britain from pre-industrial pastimes into organised, codified games.Show worked answer →
Pre-industrial (folk) games were occasional, local and lawless. They were played on festival days (such as Shrove Tuesday), had few and unwritten rules, varied from place to place, were often violent, and were limited to the local area because transport was poor. They were mostly mob games for the lower classes or the refined pursuits (real tennis, fox hunting) of the gentry.
The Industrial Revolution changed every condition. Urbanisation moved people into towns with no space to play, so purpose-built facilities were needed. The factory system imposed regular work hours and later a Saturday half-day, creating set leisure time. Improved transport (the railways) let teams travel and competitions spread nationally. A loss of village space and harsher laws curbed the violent folk games.
The public schools then took the games, refined them and wrote codified rules (the cult of athleticism and rational recreation), and the new urban working class, with more time and money, took up watching and playing the now-organised sports. The result was regular, rule-bound, league-based sport.
Markers reward the contrast between the pre-industrial conditions and how urbanisation, set work time, transport and codification produced organised sport.
WJEC 20214 marksUsing examples, explain two social or cultural functions that sport performs in society.Show worked answer →
Sport performs several functions for individuals and for society as a whole.
Social integration: sport brings different groups together and builds a shared identity. For example, the Welsh rugby team gives supporters a sense of national identity and unites communities behind a common cause.
Health and physical wellbeing: mass participation improves the fitness and health of the population, reducing illness. Government campaigns use sport to tackle inactivity.
Other valid functions include socialisation (learning the rules and values of society), social control (channelling energy into rule-bound activity), and economic benefit (jobs, tourism, the sports industry).
Markers reward two clearly explained functions, each with a relevant example, not just a list of one-word labels.
Related dot points
- The commercialisation of sport, the golden triangle of sport, sponsorship and the media, the functions and types of media coverage, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation on sport, players and spectators.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the commercialisation of sport, covering the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, the functions and types of media, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation on sport, performers and spectators.
- The globalisation of sport, its causes including the media and travel, the migration of performers, the hosting of global sporting events, and the benefits and drawbacks of a global sporting marketplace.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the globalisation of sport, covering its causes (media, travel, commercialisation), the migration of performers and fans, the staging of global events, Americanisation, and the benefits and drawbacks for sports, athletes and host nations.
- Sporting ethics including fair play, sportsmanship and gamesmanship, the concept of deviance, relative and absolute deviance, under-conformity and over-conformity, and Coakley's sport ethic.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on sporting ethics and deviance, covering fair play, sportsmanship and gamesmanship, relative and absolute deviance, under-conformity and over-conformity, Coakley's sport ethic, and the reasons performers behave deviantly.
- Doping in sport, the reasons performers use illegal performance-enhancing drugs and methods, the arguments for and against doping, and the strategies used to eliminate it including WADA, testing and education.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on doping in sport, covering the reasons performers use illegal performance-enhancing drugs and methods, the arguments for and against doping, and the strategies to eliminate it including WADA, drug testing, the biological passport and education.
- An overview of the non-exam assessment (practical performance and the analysis and evaluation of personal performance), what is assessed, how it is marked and moderated, and how to prepare for it.
An overview WJEC A-Level PE answer on the non-exam assessment: practical performance in one activity as a player, performer or coach, plus the analysis and evaluation of personal performance, how it is marked and moderated, its weighting, and how to prepare.