A Study of the Sustainable Development of Rural Sports in Gannan

Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China

AStudyoftheSustainableDevelopmentofRuralSportsinGannan

XianyiWANG*

Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China

Under the background of new urbanization and new rural construction, how to realize the sustainable development of rural sports is a problem to be solved. Using the methods of literature and logical analysis, based on expounding the relationship model of urbanization and new rural construction, with rural Gannan revolutionary base area as example, the rural sports development path is explored, so as to provide reference for sustainable development of rural sports.

Gannan, Rural sports, Sustainable development

1 Introduction

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly points out that we will take the road of new industrialization, informatization, urbanization and agricultural modernization with the Chinese characteristics, promote coordination between urbanization and agricultural modernization, and enhance synchronous development of industrialization, informatization, urbanization and agricultural modernization. During two Conferences (i.e. the National People’s Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference) in March 2013, Premier Wen Jiabao and newly elected Premier Li Keqiang expounded "new urbanization" inGovernmentWorkReportand Chinese and foreign reporters meeting, respectively. On June 26, 2013, at the third session of the 12th the NPC Standing Committee, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission Xu Shaoshi madeReportoftheStateCouncilonUrbanizationConstruction, and explicitly put forward the specific urbanization path of various types of cities for the first time. Thus, new urbanization begins to gradually move from hot theoretical topic to the implementation stage, and new urbanization and new rural construction have entered a critical period of interaction and coordinated development. Gannan, as an underdeveloped old revolutionary base area, is located in the south of Jiangxi Province. Due to the economic backwardness and information blocking in the past, Hakka culture, revolutionary culture and Song Dynasty culture are still preserved, making the rural traditional sports have geographical features. Based on regional culture, in the context of new urbanization and new rural construction, this paper comes up with exploratory ideas about the sustainable development of Gannan rural sports, in order to provide a reference for comprehensive, coordinated, sustained and healthy development of rural sports.

2 Interpretation of related theoretical issues

2.1InherentlinkbetweennewurbanizationandnewruralconstructionCoordinating and promoting new urbanization and new rural construction is an important measure to fundamentally solve issues concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and the practical need of building a moderately prosperous society. Although the stance is different, there is a natural intrinsic link between the two[1]. In terms of geographical space, the new rural construction integrates villages into cities from bottom to top, while the new urbanization extends urban system to rural areas from top to bottom. The two things work together to build China’s new urban-rural system. In terms of population flow, the migrant workers are the subject of urban and rural migration. Making the eligible migrant workers work in city and get urban household registration is the task of new urbanization, and returning-home migrant workers are the backbone of building a new countryside. In terms of function and industrial structure, developing modern agriculture is the basis of promoting new urbanization and building new rural areas. The close integration of new rural construction and urbanization is an inevitable trend of social development, and only when new rural construction is closely combined with urbanization can the scientific development be achieved[2].

2.2LiteraturereviewIn 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development first described the concept of "sustainable development" inOurCommonFuturereport, and since then, the issue of sustainable development is considered in environment, energy and other areas. In 1997, Wang Jinglian and Zhao Chongzhen’sOnSustainableDevelopmentofModernSportsopened a prelude to research on China’s sustainable development of sports. The study on sustainable development of sports involves competitive sports, community sports and various other types of sports. Through survey and research, Yu Zhonggan et al. establish a total of 15 indicators in 5 categories for evaluating sustainable development of competitive sports, and explore the relationship between sustainable development of competitive sports and human capital of competitive sports or human resources stock[3]. The studies of Pan Taoling et al. suggest that the current folk sports culture is waning in China, and many good folk sport items are not well carried on for various reasons[4]. On the basis of discussing current development of rural sports, Yang Min analyzes the opportunities and challenges facing sustainable development of rural sports, respectively[5]. In PhD thesisSustainableDevelopmentStrategyonBasketballProfessionalisminChina, Chen Jun learns from the basketball professionalism in the United States, to initially establish the theoretical framework of sustainable development on basketball professionalism in China[6]. But sports theorist Li Liyan put forward the opposite view that sustainable development is not obvious in sports, the development of sports is not directly related to energy depletion and environment, and sports can not dominate human continuity[7].

3 Idea of sustainable development of rural sports in Gannan

3.1Intermsofmaterial:synchronousincreaseofeffectivedemandandsupplyAny individual or group has an objective demand for sport, but it does not necessarily translate into the driving force for sports development. Only those needs shown in the actual sports behavior can become the actual power for sports development. We call those needs "effective sport needs"[8]. For the rural areas and farmer in Gannan, the sport is neither a means of survival, nor a mandatory task. Farmers’ awareness of sports participation, sports skills reserve and sports consumption levels lag behind, leading to low effective demand level of sports. At the same time, farmers’ effective sports demand is also closely related to the local economy, human resources and other aspects. Therefore, the government should expand the material, human resource or policy supply based on actual situation of rural areas while improving Gannan’s economy and increasing farmers’ effective demand for sports.

3.2Intermsofpolicy:equalstressonpromulgationandimplementationofsportslawsThe administrative laws and regulations are generally enacted in the form of regulations, measures, implementation details and provisions, embodying the specific content of law. To promote the development of sports, the national and local governments have promulgated some laws and regulations on sports such asSportsLawofPeople’sRepublicofChina(1995),InterimProvisionsonRuralSports(2002),ImplementationMeasuresfor"Snow-CharcoalProject" (2003),OpinionsonImplementingFitnessProjectforFarmers(2006) andDecisionsoftheCPCJiangxiProvincialCommitteeandJiangxiProvincialPeople’sGovernmentonFurtherAcceleratingtheDevelopmentofSports(2003), having provided important institutional guarantee and basis for the development of rural sports in Gannan. However, the implementation of these laws and regulations is not satisfactory. Taking the pilot village of "Sports and Fitness Project for Farmers" in Gannan for example, the equipment maintenance, and farmers’ sports skills and sports participation awareness are yet to be improved, indicating that the enactment of some sports laws and regulations is disconnected with the grass-roots implementation to some extent.

3.3Intermsoforganization:formalandinformalorganizationscomplementingeachotherPerfect sport organization can ensure the sustainable development of rural sports. According to different sources of driving force for rural sports organizations, there are governmental rural sports organization system and social rural sports organization system, and the latter can be divided into formal and informal sports organizations[9]. Through a visit to government websites and field interviews, it is found that the municipal and county bureau of sports has established the organizations in charge of rural sports, but they only make something known amongst superiors and subordinates, and their role in organizing the mass sports is not well played. However, the informal rural sports organization throughout the rural areas is playing an important role in rural sports owing to its group effect, emotional effect, interaction effect and other features, and the role is particularly prominent in rural festival sports. Therefore, the municipal and county bureau of sports, rural sports workstations and other government sports organizations should cooperate with rural informal sports organizations in organizing, planning and guiding rural sports and give full play to their respective functions.

3.4Intermsculture:symbiosisofregionalcultureandmoderncultureGannan has rich regional culture such as Hakka culture, red culture and Song Dynasty culture, and the folk traditional sports in Gannan’s rural areas are also tinted with geographical features, and it is particularly prominent in Gannan’s rural festival sports performance and competition. Gannan’s rural folk traditional sports originate from folk and are circulated among the people. It is favored by the local people and is the most dynamic growing point in rural sports development, with positive significance to fostering rural sports culture, increasing farmers’ physical fitness and carrying on the folk culture. With the spread of information and economic development, especially the flow of migrant workers between urban and rural areas, as well as the "Fitness Project for Peasants" and other preferential agricultural policies, the modern sports gradually rise in the rural areas and show a popular trend. The rural public space design is unlike urban settlement patterns, and there are great differences in the spatial distribution and communication way[10]. However, it should be noted that folk sports still have strong psychological identity in Gannan’s rural areas, and especially the Hakka sports and festival sports are very popular. Based on this, Gannan’s folk traditional sports and modern sports should be developed in tandem, and the coexistence of folk traditional sports and modern sports is an objective requirement of current rural sports and sustainable development in Gannan, and a shortcut for regional cultural continuity and development.

3.5Intermsofhumanresources:supplyanddemandbalanceofurbanandruralsportstalentThe sports human resource is a core issue of sustainable development of sports. In 2013, the number of college graduates nationwide reached a record high, and it was called the most difficult season of employment in history. Due to objective and subjective factors, the sports major college students’ employment rate is low. However, the present study suggests that sports major students’ employment issues should be treated dialectically, or the sports major students should reflect on their own concept of employment. On the one hand, it is difficult for the sports majors to seek a job in the city, and they are in an oversupply situation; on the other hand, the sports majors are unwilling to go to the vast rural areas, especially backward and poor villages, but these places are currently in urgent need of sports talent, and there is a shortage situation. Therefore, in order to lay the foundation for sustainable development of rural sports, it is necessary to develop appropriate human resource mobility policy, to make the sports majors serve both urban and rural areas to achieve a balance between supply and demand of sports human resources in urban and rural areas.

4 Conclusions and recommendations

4.1ConclusionsWith the progress of new urbanization and new rural construction and the promulgation of some documents and policies concerning Gannan such asANumberofOpinionsoftheStateCouncilonSupportingtheRevitalizationandDevelopmentofGannanandOtherFormerCentralSovietAreas(2012),RegionalDevelopmentandPovertyAlleviationPlanintheLuoxiaoMountainsduring2011-2020 (2013), the sustainable development of Gannan’s rural sports is ensured and faced with opportunities.

4.2RecommendationsFirstly, Gannan’s rural sports should make full use of the role of regional culture to strengthen the communication and exchange with northern Guangdong and western Fujian which are also the Hakka areas, and take a road of sports development with regional characteristics. Secondly, it is necessary to pinpoint the meeting point of new urbanization and new rural construction, and promote the joint development of Gannan’s rural sports, rural culture, education and tourism industry based on agricultural modernization and development pattern change, in order to expand benefits. Thirdly, the sustainable development pattern of rural sports must not allow no flexibility, and the government should provide material, policy, financial, human resource support to rural sports based on the geographical reality to provide protection for the sustainable development of rural sports.

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November 19, 2015 Accepted: December 15, 2015

Supported by "Measurement and Applied Research on Stagflation Rate of Jiangxi College P.E. Undergraduate Education" of the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" Project of Education and Science in Jiangxi Province (14YB041).

*Corresponding author. E-mail: wangxyyy@163.com