David L. Andrews

Ben Carrington

A Companion to Sport brings together writing by leading sports theorists and social and cultural thinkers, to explore sport as a central element of contemporary culture. Positions sport as a crucial subject for critical analysis, as one of the most significant forms of popular culture Includes both well-known social and cultural theorists whose work lends itself to an interrogation of sport, and leading theorists of sport itself Offers a comprehensive examination of sport as a social and cultural practice and institution Explores sport in relation to modernity, postcolonial theory, gender, violence, race, disability and politics

A Companion to Sport

This is the first book-length study to address sport's role in 'the making of race', the place of sport within black diasporic struggles for freedom and equality, and the contested location of sport in relation to the politics of recognition within contemporary western multicultural societies. Race, Sport and Politics shows that over the past century sport has occupied a dominant position within Western culture in producing ideas of racial difference and alterity while providing a powerful and public modality for forms of black cultural resistance. Written by one of the leading international authorities on the sociology of race and sport, it is the first book that centrally locates sport within the cultural politics of the black diaspora and will be of relevance to students and scholars in fields such as the sociology of culture and sport, the sociology of race and diaspora studies, postcolonial theory, cultural theory and cultural studies.

The Sporting Black Diaspora

Race, Sport and Politics

Ian McDonald

'Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport' aims to contribute to the critical analysis of sport in society by joining together Marxist and Cultural Studies approaches in one volume, so as to reveal the underlying structures of power present in contemporary sporting cultures.

Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport

The cultural ubiquity, political prominence and economic significance of contemporary sport present fertile terrain for its critical socio-cultural analysis. From corporate and media dominated mega-events like the Olympic Games, to state programmes for nation-building and health promotion, to the cultural politics of "race", gender, sexuality, age and disability, sport is so profoundly marked by relations of power that it lends itself to critique and deconstruction. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport brings together leading experts on sport to address these issues and to reflect on the continued appeal of sport to people across the globe, as well as on the forms of inequality that sport both produces and highlights. Including a Foreword by Harry Cleaver and Afterword by Michael Bérubé, this book assesses the impact of this work on the fields of ‘mainstream’ Marxism and cultural studies. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport is centred on three vital questions: Is Marxism still relevant for understanding sport in the twenty-first century? Has Marxism been preserved or transcended by cultural studies? What is the relationship between theory and intervention in the politics of sport? The result is a unique and diverse examination of modern sports culture. The first book published on the relationship between sport and Marxism for over twenty years, Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport is an invaluable resource for students of sport sociology, Marxism, and cultural studies at all levels.

Contrary to the popular belief that sport is an arena largely free from the corrosive effects of racism, this book argues that racism is evident throughout British sport. From playing fields and boardrooms of sports organisations, to the offices of sports policy makers and the media, this book breaks new ground in showing how discourses of 'race' and nation continue to pervade our sporting life. Looking at a range of sports, including football, rugby league and cricket, this book covers key topics such as: * British nationalism and nationalist ideology * racial science and the images of Asian and black physicality * sport, racism and the law * black feminism and the issues of race, gender and sport * the role of the media in perpetuating and challenging racial stereotypes. Challenging the prevailing liberal view that sport is one area of society where 'good race-relations' are developed, this book offers a wealth of research material, and a strong theoretical perspective on contemporary British sport. It will therefore be of vital interest to sociologists, sports studies students, sport policy-makers and anyone with an interest in contemporary British sport.

Ben Carrington

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