How natural environments influence traditional sports and games: A mixed methods study from China

This study explores complex relationships between the formation and development of traditional sports and games (TSGs) and the natural environment by adopting a mixed method of two studies. First, taking 1356 TSGs as cases, Study 1 uses spatial analysis to explore the representation, connotation, and source of the relationship between TSGs and natural environment factors. Second, Study 2 uses grounded theory to analyze 149 official declaration documents of TSGs and extracts 36 initial concepts, 12 subcategories, and 4 core categories, from which a theoretical framework of the formation process model of TSGs is constructed. The findings illustrate that the formation and development of TSGs are not completely determined by the natural environment but are derived from a combination of factors such as survival values, beliefs, attitudes, and the natural environment. On one hand, when the natural environment is considered an external factor of society, TSGs are directly affected by it. On the other hand, when the natural environment is considered an internal factor of society, it can only interact with people's beliefs and attitudes and indirectly accelerate or delay TSG formation and development. Research results provide both theoretical and practice implications in the safeguarding of TSGs.