The institutionalization of Esports in Denmark:New values, new opportunities, new constraints

This paper sets out to present the first results of an investigation of the institutionalisation of esports in the Danish Sports Association, DGI. The purpose of DGI is to strengthen voluntary associations as a framework for sports and exercise with an emphasis on community, challenge, joy of movement and health to promote the public education qualities of association life. Esports in DGI is thus based on the special media and sports values that have emerged from the Nordic welfare models. The research question is how DGI and the local esports actors as part of the Danish welfare society have created a framework for and influenced the mediated sport, esport? Berger & Luckmann’s (1989) concept of institution is used as a framework for understanding how the institution of esports is developed and legitimised through actions and experiences that are assigned different meanings, both materially and symbolically. The esports’ governing body is assumed to have several built-in legitimisation logics that help to constitute the organising principles surrounding the activity. The concept of institutional isomorphism is used to describe the external pressures that arise when the institutional logics conflict with each other. The institutional logics often appear challenging for the practitioners. Therefore, this research project also includes the consequences of institutionalisation for the practitioners as part of the coverage of the research field. The research project is designed as a theory-generating interpretive case study.