A Lack of Symmetry in Sports Activities. The cases of Portugal and Spain within the European Context

Abstract

Statistics bearing on sports activities show a clear asymmetry between European countries. Participation rates are much higher in Northern than in Southern countries. In Northern countries one can find a greater equal share between women’s and men’s participation, a larger commitment of young people, and the decrease of practise all along a lifetime is less marked. In the South, women’s participation is lower, contrasting more with that of men, young people’s commitment is weaker, and practise decrease is more evident in a lifetime. Leaning on the cases of Spain and Portugal, this paper points out that theses lacks of symmetry arise from the values of physical training and sports rooted in the populations’ habits, as well as in the socio-economic and political characteristics of each country.