System management of physical culture and sports sphere in municipal structure: sociological aspect

Фотографии: 

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Associate professor, Ph.D., Dr.Hab. A.A. Peredel'skiy
Postgraduate student Yu.A. Tsegel'ny
Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Youth (GTsOLIFK), Moscow

Keywords: sociology of physical culture and sport, physical education and sport sphere, optimal system design, type of system organization.

Introduction. The actually existing in Russia sphere of physical culture and sport (the sphere of PhCS) has several levels of organization: international, federal, state, regional-state and municipal. Each level has its own specifics, however some of the functions are intersected and duplicated. All elite sport, with a few exceptions, is concentrated at the first two levels; sports reserve and the bulk of the athletes are at the last two levels. Financial, political and ideological support and maintenance of the sphere of PhCS at each level have its own legal and actual capabilities, standards and place in the budget.

The sphere of PhCS includes many areas, forms and kinds of core activity. The areas are: sport (under control of mainly the Ministry of Sports), sport in education (supervised by the Ministry of Education) and military sport (supervised by the Ministry of Defense). The forms of the sphere of PhCS correlate with the administrative and legal registration of the activities of relevant organizations and institutions. The diversity of kinds of sport in the sphere of PhCS is due to the increase in the number of sports disciplines, some of which already having the official status of the sport, others – not.

Like any other sphere of public relations the sphere of PhCS does not exist alone, it is not self-sufficient, a wide variety of models and strategies for the development of sports and other types of body motor activity is the result of significant involvement of society [4]. The sphere of PhCS and its social contexts constantly influence each other, creating new types of pseudo-sports social activity: the so-called sports fans’ subculture; the underground gambling business; religious extremist, criminal and terrorist organizations. It would be wrong to consider these phenomena as deviations, exceptions to the general rule. They are just as natural and organic as legal components of the sphere of PhCS. To put it simply the sphere is like a huge iceberg, one of its parts is visible while another one remains hidden under water. And both parts are closely (or, perhaps, inseparably) connected with each other. A specialist in sociology of PhCS is obliged to consider this fact. As a conscientious scientist, he shouldn't become a subject to biased ideology. And it has absolutely nothing to do with pessimism and optimism. There is only a measure of objectivity and scientific credibility.

The purpose of the research was to create an adequate (reliable, complete, discrete, consistent) comprehensive sociological technology that can stimulate the development of the sphere of physical culture and sport in the unity of various levels, forms and directions of it.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted using the peer review method in the form of a focused interview or an informal interview with senior and mid-level officials of those municipalities of the Moscow region in which the sphere of physical culture and sports has been developed to the most. The total number of experts exceeded thirty five people. See the list of sample respondents (Table 1).

Table 1. The list of experts involved in the peer review on the subject of sociological research

Position

Districts of Moscow region with large municipalities

Dmitrov

Khimki

Odintsovo

Balashikha

Mytishchi

Lyubertsy

Krasnogorsk

Heads and deputy heads

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Deputy heads, supervising  the sphere of PhCS

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

Representatives of sports committees (department heads)

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

Heads of legal services of municipalities

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

Heads of financial services of municipalities

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

1+

Heads of financial control services of municipalities

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Results and discussion. Having received and processed the primary sociological information, we obtained sociological data and sociological indicators that were included into the analytical report of related study. This has laid the basis for the development of the conceptual practical recommendations that could become a core of a special educational program (or a training course) for municipal officials and leaders who are directly relevant to the sphere of PhCS. The essence of the concept is as follows.

First of all. The system of PhCS, as it is called in the officials’ reports, is in fact only an ideological declaration, aimed at confusing the auditing bodies and (that is particularly unpleasant) concealing the real situation in the municipal spheres of PhCS.

Opposite to the declarative or illusory, the real system arrangement of the municipal spheres of PhCS does exist. There are four quite clearly distinguished types of such system organization and management:

  • private economic type;
  • career and politics related type;
  • disciplinary hierarchical type;
  • organizational town-planning type.

These types lay the basis of four common models of system management.

  • As seen from detailed description and characterization of the models of system management, only the last one, the organizational town-planning model, is what most closely matches the current Russian legislation and makes it possible to avoid the corruption.
  • The mentioned model is also the most optimal for sustained long-term development and stable growth of the municipal sphere of PhCS, however, this fact is not so obvious to the heads of municipalities as to approve the model unconditionally.
  • Owing to the anti-corruption policy, being currently implemented in Russia, an appropriate training program for the leaders and other officials at the municipal level can be created in order to explain the practical strengths of the organizational town-planning model of the optimal system arrangement and management in relation to the municipal sphere of PhCS. Such program would also demonstrate the shortcomings of other models, potentially associated with the subjective tyranny, corruption, short life and an illusion of prosperity and expanded reproduction of the sphere of PhCS in municipalities. 
  • Despite all the advantages of the model, its widespread voluntary introduction is impossible without the development and budgetary support of the relevant state policy determined by a mid-term federal or regional program.

Conclusion. With the use of the developed model, a leader is capable of taking thoughtful and therefore socially and economically justified steps in order to attract external investments to a local budget (from the highest budget levels, large-scale commercial and non-commercial sources and minor but numerous donations of ordinary citizens).The mechanism of the implementation of the organizational town-planning model is well-grounded but very complex. And such a multi-stage task requires of a leader, in addition to having extensive contacts, to be a remarkable economist and manager. So, a head of a large company located in the municipal unit should develop and submit a detailed financial plan and an economic study of the project along with other documents. It is necessary to obtain real financial support: to get a place in the regional or even federal budget; to establish an extrabudgetary fund and more. All of these, as already mentioned, is extremely difficult, but worthy of admiration and national memory. The people respect the efforts of those leaders who were able to implement such a plan; they are remembered in the municipality even after their death or resignation.

The organizational town-planning option seems to be the only workable option of the internal specialized system arrangement, which is based on sport itself as a socio-economically sound backbone factor, the factor which acts as a core of local microeconomic system, with the rest of the social infrastructure arranged around it. And if such a system is based on self-sufficiency (profitability), in the physical culture and sport sphere it is the most reliable guarantee of its longevity and large-scale involvement.

It should be noted that the nature of the organizational town-planning model of system arrangement of the local sphere of physical culture and sport can be both intra- and extra-systemic (extra-regional or extra-federal). In fact, based on the current legislation, the implementation of social policy via any extra-systemic program should contribute to the use of exactly the organizational town-planning model of system arrangement. Formally, every leader who is willing to participate in such a program justifies his application by acting in the interests of administrative and economic integrity of a particular municipal unit. Obviously, there could be some self-interest. And the controlling departments, for example the department of financial control, exist to detect and deter such precedents.

References

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Corresponding author: alexperedelskiya@mail.ru