Henrik Fürst
Department of Education, Stockholm University
This article proposes a reassessment of the concept of talent and offers tools for a conceptual and methodological shift in the study of talent identification in sports. Drawing on American pragmatism, specifically the pragmatic maxim, the article aims to clarify the concept of talent in talent identification that makes an athlete open for selection. The article organizes, presents, and discusses existing research on talent identification and highlights the need for a conceptual reevaluation. Instead of solely focusing on talent identification, the article suggests studying player qualifications through explicit and implicit tests, where the label “talent” is one outcome among several. The relevance of measurement, attachment, and judgment in this context of valuation is discussed. The article underscores the importance of considering the involved agents and the situational and historical context of these qualifications.
Click here to read this peer reviewed article in Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum, Vol. 15, 2024
HENRIK FÜRST is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Stockholm University, Sweden, holding the title of Docent in both Sociology and Education. His research has predominantly focused on careers, coordination, and valuation, with particular emphasis on the domains of art and education. Currently, Fürst’s academic interest is directed toward comprehending similarities and differences regarding processes of careers, coordination, and valuation pertinent to functionally similar domains within society, such as sports, art, and academia. His current contribution to the journal addresses the issue of talent and its identification.
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