Grounded on an 18-month ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a border region of Southwestern China, this qualitative study targets a multi-ethnic college setting to examine the developmental impacts of regular sporting provisions on campus. Qualitative data were collected from multiple sources through participant observation, online survey and in-depth focus group interviews. Drawing on \u2018tiyu (\u4f53\u80b2)<\/em>\u2019 and the Capabilities Approach (CA) as conceptual and theoretical references, data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis whereby four themes with sub-themes were contextually and reflexively constructed. These themes include: (1) fundamental means and ends: tiyu<\/em> is an essential functioning of health and education; (2) individual agency enables extra gains: tiyu<\/em> for interpersonal affiliation, emotions and control over one\u2019s environment; (3) from instrumental to elemental: tiyu<\/em> is an indispensable capability of play; (4) developmental prospects are conditional: counter-stories of tiyu<\/em>. As the findings revealed both positive and negative impacts of tiyu<\/em> on participants, it furthers the understanding of sport (tiyu<\/em>)\u2019s malleable nature and indicates that, although sport (tiyu<\/em>) can bring about positive developmental outcomes, these outcomes are neither universal nor guaranteed.<\/p>\n \u4e2d\u56fd\u5357\u897f\u90e8\u306e\u56fd\u5883\u5730\u5e2f\u30671\u5e74\u534a\u306b\u308f\u305f\u3063\u3066\u5b9f\u65bd\u3055\u308c\u305f\u6c11\u65cf\u8a8c\u7684\u30d5\u30a3\u30fc\u30eb\u30c9\u30ef\u30fc\u30af\u306b\u57fa\u3065\u304f\u3053\u306e\u8cea\u7684\u7814\u7a76\u306f\u3001\u591a\u6c11\u65cf\u304c\u96c6\u3046\u5927\u5b66\u306e\u74b0\u5883\u3092\u5bfe\u8c61\u3068\u3057\u3001\u30ad\u30e3\u30f3\u30d1\u30b9\u3067\u5b9a\u671f\u7684\u306b\u884c\u308f\u308c\u308b\u30b9\u30dd\u30fc\u30c4\u306e\u6a5f\u4f1a\u304c\u5927\u5b66\u751f\u306e\u5fc3\u8eab\u306e\u767a\u9054\u306b\u53ca\u307c\u3059\u5f71\u97ff\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u691c\u8a0e\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u8cea\u7684\u30c7\u30fc\u30bf\u306f\u3001\u53c2\u4e0e\u89b3\u5bdf\u3001\u30aa\u30f3\u30e9\u30a4\u30f3\u8abf\u67fb\u3001\u8a73\u7d30\u306a\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30ab\u30b9\u30fb\u30b0\u30eb\u30fc\u30d7\u30fb\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u7b49\u8907\u6570\u306e\u60c5\u5831\u6e90\u304b\u3089\u53ce\u96c6\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u305d\u306e\u5f8c\u3001\u6982\u5ff5\u7684\u30fb\u7406\u8ad6\u7684\u53c2\u7167\u3068\u3057\u3066\u306e\u300c\u4f53\u80b2\u300d\u3068\u300c\u6f5c\u5728\u80fd\u529b\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30fc\u30c1\uff08CA\uff09\u300d\u3092\u7528\u3044\u3001\u518d\u5e30\u7684\u4e3b\u984c\u5206\u6790\u3092\u7528\u3044\u3066\u30c7\u30fc\u30bf\u3092\u5206\u6790\u3057\u30014\u3064\u306e\u30c6\u30fc\u30de\u3068\u30b5\u30d6\u30c6\u30fc\u30de\u3092\u6587\u8108\u7684\u30fb\u518d\u5e30\u7684\u306b\u69cb\u7bc9\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u3053\u308c\u3089\u306e\u30c6\u30fc\u30de\u306b\u306f\u4ee5\u4e0b\u304c\u542b\u307e\u308c\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff081\uff09\u57fa\u672c\u7684\u306a\u624b\u6bb5\u3068\u76ee\u7684\uff1a\u5065\u5eb7\u3068\u6559\u80b2\u306e\u8981\u3068\u3057\u3066\u306e\u6a5f\u80fd\u3002 (2) \u500b\u4eba\u306e\u4e3b\u4f53\u6027\u304c\u3082\u305f\u3089\u3059\u3055\u3089\u306a\u308b\u5229\u76ca\uff1a\u5bfe\u4eba\u95a2\u4fc2\u3001\u611f\u60c5\u3001\u74b0\u5883\u306e\u5236\u5fa1\u306b\u3082\u305f\u3089\u3059\u52b9\u80fd\u3002(3) \u9053\u5177\u6027\u304b\u3089\u539f\u70b9\u3078\u306e\u56de\u5e30\uff1a\u904a\u3073\u306b\u6b20\u304b\u305b\u306a\u3044\u6f5c\u5728\u80fd\u529b\u3068\u3057\u3066\u3002(4) \u767a\u9054\u306b\u5bfe\u3059\u308b\u7559\u4fdd\uff1a\u5bfe\u6297\u7684\u306a\u4e8b\u4f8b\u985e\u3002\u7d50\u8ad6\u3068\u3057\u3066\u672c\u7814\u7a76\u306f\u3001\u300c\u4f53\u80b2\u300d\u304c\u53c2\u52a0\u8005\u306b\u3082\u305f\u3089\u3059\u5f71\u97ff\u306b\u306f\u30dd\u30b8\u30c6\u30a3\u30d6\u306a\u9762\u3068\u30cd\u30ac\u30c6\u30a3\u30d6\u306a\u9762\u304c\u3042\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3092\u660e\u3089\u304b\u306b\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u305d\u3057\u3066\u3001\u300c\u4f53\u80b2\u300d\u306e\u53ef\u935b\u7684\u306a\u6027\u8cea\u306b\u5bfe\u3059\u308b\u7406\u89e3\u3092\u6df1\u3081\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306b\u8ca2\u732e\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u3059\u306a\u308f\u3061\u3001\u300c\u4f53\u80b2\u300d\u304c\u30dd\u30b8\u30c6\u30a3\u30d6\u306a\u767a\u9054\u7684\u7d50\u679c\u3092\u3082\u305f\u3089\u3059\u53ef\u80fd\u6027\u304c\u3042\u308b\u4e00\u65b9\u3067\u3001\u305d\u308c\u3089\u306e\u7d50\u679c\u304c\u666e\u904d\u7684\u306a\u3082\u306e\u3067\u3082\u4fdd\u8a3c\u3055\u308c\u305f\u3082\u306e\u3067\u3082\u306a\u3044\u3053\u3068\u3092\u793a\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n Sport, physical education (PE) and related activities are often considered beneficial to human development at the individual, community and international levels. These assumed benefits include but are not limited to physical and mental health, educational benefits, social inclusion, gender empowerment, as well as peacebuilding. To date, this belief has exerted a lasting influence bolstering extensive engagements in focused realms, such as sport for development and peace (SDP), which primarily targets disadvantaged groups or at-risk youth, aiming to intentionally harness the transferable values of sport for positive developmental outcomes. Despite the continuously growing interest in sport\u2019s broader potential, critical scholars have cautioned about the mythopoetic presumption of its developmental benefits, as well as the contested praxis and discourses that still largely favour neoliberal approaches undergirded by Western ideologies. Contrastingly, there has been a dearth of attention attached to non-Western contexts, particularly countries with distinct postulations regarding sport and PE, such as China.<\/p>\n Informed by tiyu<\/em>(\u4f53\u80b2) <\/em>and the CA, the findings suggest that tiyu<\/em> in this setting was, first and foremost, perceived as an essential functioning of health and education, representing both a vital end of and means for human capabilities. Based on and beyond these two fundamental values, tiyu<\/em> also enabled participants to exert their agency for broader capabilities, including interpersonal affiliation<\/em>, emotions<\/em> and control over one\u2019s environment<\/em>. Additionally, respondents indicated that tiyu<\/em> became an indispensable pastime during the COVID-19 restriction, making it not only instrumental but also elemental for the capability of play<\/em>. Nevertheless, counter-stories revealed the potential detriments and limitations of tiyu<\/em> in the setting, calling for a critical and realistic understanding of its developmental impacts, and the necessity for more inclusive, diverse and tailored sporting opportunities to engage broader participants.<\/p>\n Instead of uncritically applying \u2018sport\u2019 in the context of China, this study applies \u2018tiyu(\u4f53\u80b2)<\/em>\u2019 as the key terminology for a better contextual and culturally-specific understanding of contemporary sporting practices in China. This contrasts with the convention in English and Chinese literature assuming an interchangeable connotation of \u2018sport\u2019 between these two languages, which is convenient but not necessarily accurate, and can be misleading. Far from a long-held Chinese concept, tiyu<\/em> was originally adopted from a Wase-kango (\u548c\u88fd\u6f22\u8a9e, namely Japanese-made Chinese words) term \u2013 \u2018ta\u012bku<\/em> (\u4f53\u80b2)\u2019 \u2013 the straight translation of \u2018physical education (PE)\u2019 in Japanese. However, tiyu<\/em> in Chinese has been expanded beyond its origin to become the umbrella term that mandates all relevant doings pertaining to PE and sports. For example, while tiyu<\/em> still serves to denote PE-related terms, especially \u2018tiyu-ke<\/em> (\u4f53\u80b2\u8bfe, PE Class)\u2019, it is also extensively applied in vocabularies of sport, such as \u2018tiyu-saishi<\/em> (\u4f53\u80b2\u8d5b\u4e8b,sport events)\u2019 and \u2018zhiye-tiyu<\/em> (\u804c\u4e1a\u4f53\u80b2, professional sports)\u2019.<\/p>\n Based on the findings, this study argues that tiyu<\/em> exemplifies an entity of malleable nature that could bring about varying influences on different participants in diverse contexts. This echoes critical sport scholarships that view sport as an \u2018empty form\u2019, the impacts of which are contingent on how, to whom and for what purposes it is deployed. Accordingly, our findings call for sport practitioners, researchers and policymakers to critically recognise and, therefore, reject oversimplified beliefs that continue to exaggerate sport (tiyu<\/em>) as unconditionally and universally beneficial. Contrarywise, credulously embracing the fancy narratives of sport, not least of which favour elitism, ableism, and commercialism, would considerably hinder the prospects of benefiting the participants, especially those in need.<\/p>\n Our findings uphold previous studies to recognise the developmental possibilities and experiences of ordinary sport offerings and careers, such as those provided by schools. This furthered understanding regarding how long-term, non-interventional and public-funded sporting opportunities could elicit various benefits, and can be added to the effort for reconciling the prevailing model of short-term interventional projects deploying sports for developmental outcomes. To enable more inclusive, diverse, playful, and beneficial sporting experiences for more people, the connection between ordinary sporting opportunities and human development concerns warrants further attention from ensuing research, practices, and policies.<\/p>\n Social science inquiries targeting sport and PE in China have been notably dominated by top-down perspectives, which tend to favour upper directives and policy discourses at the cost of neglecting the experiences of practitioners and recipients on the ground. Aiming to address this issue and empower ordinary participants, our research foregrounds bottom-up perceptions and embodied experiences of those at the grassroots level, thereby offering grounded insights on how sporting opportunities can and cannot benefit participants\u2019 individual development. In doing so, we do not take for granted sport\u2019s assumed values but critically reflect upon the humble potential of sport in impacting human development and capabilities. We encourage fellow researchers, policymakers, practitioners and participants to take a similarly critical stance so that current sporting practices and experiences can be genuinely improved.<\/p>\n \u203b1\u3000Sport for Development and Peace (SDP)<\/p>\n Sport for Development and Peace is a global movement endorsed by the United Nations that aspires to intentionally harness sport and relevant activities for non-sporting development and peace outcomes, such as social inclusion and conflict resolution.<\/p>\n \u203b2\u3000\u2018Tiyu<\/em>(<\/em>\u4f53\u80b2)<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Tiyu<\/em>(<\/em>\u4f53\u80b2)<\/em>\u2019 is the overarching concept of sport-related terminologies in Chinese (particularly in mainland China). It was initially borrowed from the Japanese translation of physical education \u2013 \u2018ta<\/em>\u012b<\/em>ku<\/em> (\u4f53\u80b2)\u2019, but has been expanded to encompass broader meanings, including sport, physical activities, and physical culture.<\/p>\n \u203b3\u3000Capabilities Approach<\/p>\n The Capability(-ies) Approach (CA) is a well-conceptualized body of theories that underscores human development and well-being in terms of capabilities as substantive freedoms to realise the valuable doings and beings, contrasting with merely resource distributions or functionings (the actual realisation of human functions). It was originally coined by the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen to counter traditional development thinking, and was later developed by renowned academics such as Martha Nussbaum and Ingrid Robeyns.<\/p>\n \u96d1\u8a8c\u540d\uff0fJournal\uff1aSport, Education and Society<\/p>\n \u8ad6\u6587\u540d\uff0fTitle\uff1aA fitness obligation or indispensable pastime? A capability-informed inquiry into the developmental impacts of tiyu(<\/em>\u4f53\u80b2)<\/em> on college students in multi-ethnic China<\/p>\n\uff08\uff11\uff09\u3053\u308c\u307e\u3067\u306e\u7814\u7a76\u3067\u5206\u304b\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3053\u3068\uff0fResearch Background<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff12\uff09\u4eca\u56de\u306e\u7814\u7a76\u3067\u65b0\u305f\u306b\u5b9f\u73fe\u3057\u3088\u3046\u3068\u3057\u305f\u3053\u3068\u3001\u660e\u3089\u304b\u306b\u306a\u3063\u305f\u3053\u3068\uff0fFindings<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff13\uff09\u305d\u306e\u305f\u3081\u306b\u65b0\u3057\u304f\u958b\u767a\u3057\u305f\u624b\u6cd5\uff0fMethods developed<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff14\uff09\u7814\u7a76\u306e\u6ce2\u53ca\u52b9\u679c\u3084\u793e\u4f1a\u7684\u5f71\u97ff\uff0fResearch implications to the society<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff15\uff09\u4eca\u5f8c\u306e\u8ab2\u984c\uff0fFuture issues<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff16\uff09\u7814\u7a76\u8005\u306e\u30b3\u30e1\u30f3\u30c8\uff0fResearcher\u2019s Comment<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff17\uff09\u7528\u8a9e\u89e3\u8aac\uff0fTerminology<\/h4>\n
\uff08\uff18\uff09\u8ad6\u6587\u60c5\u5831\uff0fJournal Information<\/h4>\n