Badminton in Saskatcheawn, 1919-1993: Elitism and Mass Participation in Sport

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Date
1994-07Author
Tan, Chin-Aik
Type
ThesisDegree Level
MastersMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The purpose of this thesis is to study the historical evolution of
the sport of badminton within the province of Saskatchewan from 1919 to
1993. The study has two major themes. First, it chronicles the
beginnings, development and growth of the game. In doing so, it
analyzes the nature of the sport, to whom it appealed, who was most
influential in establishing its place in the province, and why it could
never totally eliminate its elitist element. Second, the study
investigates the historical background and social context that
surrounded and influenced the emergence of badminton in an
industrialized British society that was in transition. Also, it shows
how it maintained its viability throughout the period in Saskatchewan by
analyzing how this sport of the military, which was initially played
almost exclusively by the upper class, gradually became a sport enjoyed
by the middle class and accessible to the working class. Slowly
badminton changed from being the refined sport of "ladies and gentlemen"
to a sport that could be either played competitively or for pleasure,
irrespective of race, class or gender.