Sociological Perspectives on Sport

Sociological Perspectives on Sport: The Games Outside the Games seeks not only to inform students about the sports world but also to offer them analytical skills and the application of theoretical perspectives that deepen their awareness and understanding of social processes linking sports to the larger social world. With six original framing essays linking sport to a variety of topics, including race, class, gender, media, politics, deviance, and globalization, and 37 reprinted articles, this text/reader sets a new standard for excellence in teaching sports and society.

David Karen is a Professor of Sociology at Bryn Mawr College. In addition to his interest in sports, he also studies social inequality, the sociology of education, and social movements. He has been elected to four consecutive terms as a School Director in Upper Merion Area School District. Robert E. Washington is Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Bryn Mawr College. His areas of scholarly interest are sociology of sports, race relations, social deviance, and the sociology of culture. With David Karen, he co-edited The Sport and Society Reader (Routledge) and Sport, Power, and Society (Westview).

Section 1: Sport and Sociology: Sport as a Unique "Field" Section 2: Biases and Barriers in Sport: Class, Race, Gender, and Disability Section 3: The Social Bonds Generated By Sports: Fandom, Community, and Media Section 4: The Political Economy and The Politics of Sports - Dynamics and Diffusion Section 5: Breaking The Normative Rules: The Problems of Deviance in Sports Section 6: Globalization and Sports