ABSTRACT
Physical education and sport have served many purposes in their history and have been used for a variety of reasons. Some of these objectives have been purely altruistic, intended for the sole benefit of the participant. On other occasions there have been ulterior purposes and reasons, serving the cause of the agency of provision and implementation. The use of physical education and sport has at times contributed to the hegemonic nature of society, for example by preparing civilians for military service. The use of sport for social control may seem a little far fetched in modern society, but there are many examples of how physical education and sport may have contributed to attempts at political and social engineering at different times and in different contexts. In this light, perhaps social control has at times been on the agenda.
