The Olympics are there “…to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play”. One could say that the moment South African Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold at the 200-meter breaststroke swimming competition represents this spirit perfectly.
It’s amazing how, despite heightened patriotism, competitiveness, and rivalries between nations, moments of good sportsmanship and camaraderie abound.
In this article, I reflect on this phenomenon with the help of Social Identity Theory (SIT) and explore the many ways individuals experience patriotism.