5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Table tennis culture was introduced into China as a Western sports culture in the Qing Dynasty. In the early days of the founding of China, table tennis diplomacy, as a world-famous historical event, encouraged the development of this table tennis event. China vigorously reformed the existing sports mechanism and developed table tennis into a national sport recognized by the Chinese people with the strength of the whole nation. But little is known about the social changes in the context of the development of table tennis culture.

Based on the Social Identity Theory, this session takes the Chinese nation as the reference group, and combines China's modern development history and specific national conditions to explore China's social reform.

This session interprets the spread and development of Western sports culture and table tennis culture in China from the perspective of national situation, and divides the period into three time nodes: 1840-1949 (the peak of national identity), 1949-2000 (the need for national identity), and 2000-present (the transformation of cultural identity). Before the founding of New China, the Chinese nation's need for national identity was urgent. After that, the new China needed to establish itself internationally. In the 21st century, China is committed to strengthening its cultural self-confidence.

The development of table tennis and other sport disciplines cannot be separated from the historical background of China.

Abstracts that focus on the sport culture in China and its historical developments are welcomed in this session.