# Mimetic Activity **Domain:** Sociology of sport **Doc Type:** Developed Concept Node **Maturity:** Developed **Collection:** [[collections/Gamification|Gamification Collection]] ## Definition In Elias and Dunning's sociology, **mimetic activity** evokes tensions and emotions analogous to serious life while containing them within a differently structured setting. Sport can create fear, hope, rivalry, reversal, and resolution without being identical to the conflict it resembles. ## Why it matters “Mimetic” does not mean unreal or harmless. The arena regulates the form and consequence of action, but identities, injuries, money, and political meanings can cross its boundary. This is why substitution must be tested rather than assumed. ## Sources - Norbert Elias and Eric Dunning, [Quest for Excitement](https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/Q/bo58929421.html) ## Routes [[wiki/Norbert Elias|Norbert Elias]] · [[wiki/Catharsis vs. Structuration|Catharsis vs. Structuration]] · [[wiki/Non-Substitutability|Non-Substitutability]]