ABSTRACT
Sport is a valuable and visible component of the global economy (Fort, 2003; Plunkett Research, 2015) and also a social institution with structural power that both reflects and influences the society within which sport develops, thrives, or even restrains (Coakley, 2014; Wolf, 1990). Within each society, as well as in a global context, a subculture exists in sport, just like in other social institutions. Sport can be an effective avenue to help facilitate human interactions, communications, and mutual understanding, and transcend cultural barriers between social institutions and among societies. As a universal language, sport influences not only internal understanding within individual cultures, but also external cross-cultural dynamics. Given its universality, the utility of sport as a means to promote intercultural understanding, economic collaboration, and diplomatic engagement is paramount (Baker and Esherick, 2009; Coakley, 2014; Zeigler, 2007). Nonetheless, sport can also be a platform and/or a source of cross-institution and cross-cultural misunderstanding and even confrontation when its functions are not appropriately channeled. At times, misinterpretations can broaden the gaps that are already existent between subcultures. As individuals are frequently influenced and reinforced by their cultural beliefs, norms, expectations, roles, and activities within their social environments, it is not easy for them to adapt to other cultural contexts (Coakley, 2014).
