Sport, Exercise and Social Theory: An Introduction

Why is sport important? What can the study of sport tell us about wider society? Who has power in contemporary sport? It is impossible to properly understand the role that sport plays in contemporary society without knowing a little social theory. It is social theory that provides the vocabulary for our study of society, that helps us ask the right questions and that encourages us to look for the story behind the sport. Sport and Social Theory isa concise and engaging introduction to all the key theories that underpin the study of sport and society, including feminism, post-modernism, neo-Marxism and the sociological imagination. Using vivid examples and descriptions of sport-related events, practices and issues, the book explains why social theory is important as well as how to use it, giving students the tools to navigate with confidence through any course in the sociology of sport. The book shows how theory can be used to debunk many of our traditional assumptions about sport and how sport can be a useful window through which to observe wider society. Designed to be used by students who have never studied sociology before, the book provides training in critical thinking and helps students to develop intellectual skills which will serve them throughout their professional and personal lives.