David Hoff

Dealing with Insolvency and Indebted Individuals in respect to Law and Morals

This article is focused on the social and moral problems of insolvency and indebtedness, presenting and analysing the legal structure of the Swedish Act (1994) of Reconstruction of Insolvency. The analysis is related to a revitalisation of Durkheim’s sociology on the forms of social solidarity and, thereby, to the search for moral bonds in our modern and rationalised society. Thus, the analysis will focus on the importance of the sacred symbolism of making efforts and presenting good will. By connecting the insolvency law to a Durkheimian analysis of social solidarity, the article presents functionality and morality as different forces that emphasise the ‘sacred symbolism of punishment’, in order to both strengthen ‘work ethics’ and make legitimate the principle of social welfare and the ‘security net’. According to the analysis, an individual must trustworthily deserve, in a moral sense, the legal opportunity of clearing his or her debts. The clearing of the debt must be pointed out as fair and proved, through the quality of effort and sacrifice.

Anti-doping and legitimacy: an international survey of elite athletes’ perceptions

ABSTRACT Anti-doping work is a comprehensive enterprise that entails control and governance of elite athletes’ everyday lives. However, in policy-making regarding doping and anti-doping in elite sports, the athletes’ perspective has not been considered adequately. Focusing on elite athletes’ perceptions of anti-doping as both principle and praxis, the study aimed to analyse how these perceptions can be understood from a legitimacy perspective. A survey study involving 261 elite athletes from 51 different countries and four international sports federations was conducted. The results showed that the athletes did not question the legitimacy of the rules, but had concerns about the legitimacy of the way the rules and principles are enforced in practice, specifically with regard to matters of privacy, lack of efficiency and equal conditions as well as athletes’ involvement in the anti-doping work. The article describes how athletes’ perceptions of the legitimacy of anti-doping work constitute the basis for their willingness to follow regulations as well as a precondition for the work’s functionality and stability. In light of this finding, the article calls for the empowerment of athletes in anti-doping work.