Showing papers in "International Review for the Sociology of Sport in 2008"

Understanding Sport Clubs as Sport Policy Implementers: A Theoretical Framework for the Analysis of the Implementation of Central Sport Policy through Local and Voluntary Sport Organizations

Abstract: This article aims at developing a theoretical framework for analysing the implementation of sport policy, as it is conducted by voluntary sport clubs at grassroots level. First, three options are p...

The Establishment of the World Anti-Doping Agency: A Study of the Management of Organizational Change and Unplanned Outcomes

Abstract: This article examines the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which was established following the World Conference on Doping in Sport convened by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and held in Lausanne in 1999. More specifically, the article draws upon Elias's game models to analyse: i) the way in which the IOC sought to manage this process of change in such a way that its longstanding position as the world's leading anti-doping organization would be reinforced; and ii) the IOC's inability to control this process, with the result that the IOC failed to achieve any of its objectives, its position as the world's anti-doping organization was actually undermined, and world leadership passed to a new organization which had a significant measure of independence from the IOC.

Benefits and Detriments of African American Male Athletes' Participation in a Big-Time College Football Program

Abstract: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the nature and status of four African American male athletes' educational experiences as participants in a big-time college football program at a predominantly white institution of higher education (PWIHE) in the United States of America. A focus group and individual interviews revealed that although these African American males felt that they derived certain tangible and intangible benefits from being participants in this football program, the term `student-athlete' was an inaccurate description of who they are, especially given the expectations and tremendous time demands their participation in football related activities placed on them. These general findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research in college sport.

`White Men Can't Jump' Race, Gender and Natural Athleticism

Abstract: This study examined the ways young people negotiate, take up and/or resist dominant discourses of race, athleticism and sport in school physical education contexts in the southeastern United States. The participants in this performance ethnography study were 28 high school students and one physical education teacher/coach. Data from multiple sources were collected, including field notes, and formal and informal interviews with each participant. The results of this study show that white boys complied with the notion of blacks' `natural' physical superiority, and black boys occupied an ambiguous position within dominant discourses of race and natural athleticism; while girls, in general, rejected racialized discourses of the body, instead adopting a liberal humanistic position. Considering these findings, we advocate for sport educators' and physical education teachers' adoption of critical media pedagogy to promote a democratic consciousness among young people in sport and physical education settings.

From Inside the Newsroom: Paralympic Media and the `Production' of Elite Disability

Abstract: It has long been understood that the media has the power to shape the representation of social issues and effectively manage the understanding that the public has of the world. Control of information in media centres at major sporting events such as the Paralympic Games is vital if agencies such as the International Paralympic Committee and national affiliates such as the British Paralympic Association are to properly manage the image of elite sport for the disabled. Information that print journalists receive in this environment is already highly mediated and the added influence of editors who often have strong views as to what is appropriate for their target audience means that the final published product often is devoid of cultural understanding of Paralympic sport. As such the shaping of printed media texts related to sport for the disabled is not distinct from the mainstream. However, while there have been numerous studies exploring the media representation of Paralympic athletes, there has been no cr...

The Politics of Sport Diplomacy and Reunification in Divided Korea One Nation, Two Countries and Three Flags

Abstract: This article examines the use of sport as a foreign policy and diplomatic tool on the politically divided Korean peninsula. The recent increase in sport exchanges between the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north offer a unique opportunity to analyse the changing role and efficacy of contemporary sport diplomacy. The research investigates and critically evaluates the political agenda of these events on the divided peninsula. The theoretical framework of this study derives from the pluralist paradigm of International Relations. Therefore this article does not only deal with state initiatives and governmental policies but also with non-state and non-governmental organizations. The article focuses on sport's contribution to the improvement of inter-Korean relations and the reunification of the Korean nation, a key policy objective of both countries, in one of the very few remaining politically divided societies. Due to sport's versatile symboli...

Elite Athletes as Migrants in Danish Women's Handball

Abstract: A number of studies have been done on the migration of male athletes in well-known sport disciplines such as football. However, we lack knowledge about migration in smaller sport disciplines and about female athletes as sport migrants. The present article examines first of all the growing number of foreign players in the Danish women's handball league from 1999 to 2007. Second, the athletes' motives for moving to Danish handball clubs are categorized, and third, the migrants' experiences in Danish handball clubs are related to the strategies of integration in two prominent handball clubs. The analysis reveals, among others, family- and space-related aspects which have not been covered in the literature on sports migration. Moreover, integration theory forms a useful supplement to migration theory in explaining the ways in which the club experiences of the migrants affect their motives.

Athletic Career Termination Model in the Czech Republic A Qualitative Exploration

Abstract: This study was designed to explore the process of sport career termination in the Czech Republic, and was based on the theoretical-conceptual background of sport career transition models (Stambulov...

Rogue Men and Predatory Women Female Fans' Perceptions of Australian Footballers' Sexual Conduct

Abstract: The 2004 Australian Football League and National Rugby League seasons started amidst claims made by women about players behaving inappropriately towards them. A raft of allegations surfaced in the media, prompting nationwide debate on the issue of sportsmen and violence. While sport sociologists have made important inroads toward understanding sexual misconduct by male athletes, much of this research appears to focus on the socio-cultural factors informing the perpetrators' actions. This study takes a different approach, analysing the perspectives of female Australian rules football fans to consider gendered narratives of sexual misconduct. Our findings demonstrate that discourses of individualism, along with a mix of socio-cultural and biological arguments, are used by women to reconcile players' misconduct with continuing support of their sport.

`Imagine, a Man Playing Netball!' Masculinities and Sport in New Zealand

Abstract: This article provides a textual analysis of selected media representations of men's netballers in New Zealand, an analysis of interviews with members of the Otago men's netball team, and a brief description of the author's participant-observation research in this area. The article discusses and challenges stereotypical representations of men who play netball — a sport originally designed specifically for women, and historically dominated by women — as either effeminate or gay cross-dressers. While the idea that men's netballers are perverse `gender-benders' remains widespread, the increasing popularity of social mixed-gender netball, combined with the determined efforts of established men's netballers, is beginning to challenge popular preconceptions. Men's netball provides recreational opportunities for both men who subscribe to hegemonic definitions of masculinity and for men who espouse more marginalized masculinities. Some evidence even suggests that despite altercations between homophobic Otago playe...

Social Capital and Social Responsibility in Denmark : More than Gaining Public Trust

Abstract: The Social Impact of Sport Governance & Management 20th to 22nd November 2008 Universita Bocconi, Milano

Using Social Movement Theory To Study Outcomes in Sport-Related Social Movements:

Abstract: In this study, we systematically examine the relevance of five bodies of social movement theory to the outcomes of two sport-related social movements — struggles over funding of sport facilities an...

Stand Up and Be Counted: Numerical Storylines in a Stadium Debate

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to investigate how numbers come to be part of the political fabric of an ongoing debate to build a new stadium with public funds. We begin by briefly outlining the importance of numbers in the broader context of policy-making. More specifically, we situate the emphasis on numbers in governmental decision-making within the growth of `technocracy' and more contemporary demands for `evidence-based' policy. Drawing from an interpretive methodology of narrative analysis, we then turn to our case to illustrate how numbers came to be articulated and politicized, focusing on three inter-connected storylines: 1) the story of decline and merit, 2) the story of helplessness and control, and 3) the story of risk and assurance. In the last section we attempt to synthesize a brief comment concerning number narratives in stadium debates, particularly those associated with expertise and the implications for public trust.

Resistance to Technological Innovation in Elite Sport

Abstract: In 1998, the French Canoe and Kayak Federation embarked on the creation of a new kayak. However, there was concern it would not succeed in its venture due to `social resistance'. This article aims therefore to reveal the social characteristics of those showing opposition to technological innovation, as well as those who are calling for it, and to determine the reasons behind reticence. A questionnaire was handed out to elite athletes, and interviews conducted with national coaches. The results show that, contrary to preliminary hypotheses, all athletes (including those of flat water racing) generally view such a project in a favourable light. The coaches express different types of `resistance' — a term which should be used with caution, as it suggests legitimacy and faith in progress — which have less to do with the social position of the actors than with criticism of past and present policies of the Federation.

The Use of Anabolic Steroids and Other Prohibited Substances By Gym Enthusiasts in Cyprus

Abstract: The use of prohibited substances in sport does not solely concern athletes, but it is also quite common among other categories of the population: people who do not engage in competitive sports but use doping substances for a number of other reasons. This article is based on a survey that was administered to 532 people of both sexes, aged 14 years and above, in 22 gyms around Cyprus. The respondents engaged in one or more sports with a very small percentage (6%) participating in competitive sports. The results showed that 11.6 percent of the respondents had used or were using prohibited substances in order to improve their performance. The use of prohibited substances seemed to be higher among certain interviewees sharing common characteristics, that is, gender, age, education and socio-economic status. Doping was common among body-builders. The research also examined the reasons for the use of prohibited substances in relation to: the reasons for exercising; the nature of the sport; smoking and drinking h...

Discourses On Mass Versus Elite Sport and Pre-Adult Football in Norway

Abstract: This article focuses on the discursive framework of pre-adult football in Norway The analytical starting point features debates in two major Norwegian newspapers, started by the head of the elite

Physical Activity Relationship (PAR)

Abstract: This article presents a concept and an approach for analysing and understanding an individual's relationship to physical culture. Physical activity relationship (PAR) is a concept by which sport and physical activities are approached as a cultural part of life to which all of us have a relationship. According to Unruh (1980) we live in many different social worlds at the same time and based on his classification we have different roles in these social worlds. We can be strangers, tourists, regulars or insiders. The deeper we are involved in a certain social world the better we see and understand the meanings of this world. Sport and physical activities can be conceptualized as such a social world. The relationship which describes how we encounter this world and its culture is referred to here as PAR. This article suggests that although there is clear interest in personal physical activity by the field of sport and exercise science, PAR also covers three other dimensions: following, producing and consuming...

Fairness and Enjoyment in School Sponsored Youth Sports

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to expand upon research in organizational justice by introducing the construct into a school sponsored sports setting from a sociological perspective. Three dimensions of organizational justice — distributive justice, procedural justice, and interpersonal justice — were assessed to determine if the fairness of coaches, as perceived by their student athletes (N = 259), was associated with the sports the students' enjoyed participating in the most or the least. Two research questions answered by this study were: 1) do fairness perceptions differ between the sport the students enjoy the most and the sport they enjoy the least, and 2) did those perceptions influence the students' desire to continue participating in those referent sports. The findings indicted that perceptions of each of the three dimensions differed between the referent sports selected by the student athletes, and those differences were significant (p < .001). The findings also suggested that a linear relationshi...

Czech Sport Governing Bodies and Social Capital

Abstract: The main objective of the study is to explore the mechanisms influencing the nature of civic engagement in sport federations with a particular interest in barriers undermining their functioning. The article is based on the multi-sited ethnographic study in three sport governing bodies in the Czech Republic (handball, football and sailing) and uses a combination of techniques such as participant and non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews and secondary analysis of available documents. The main barriers identified are seen as a product of encounters between local and national levels of sport governing bodies. The concept of social capital with its structural, relational and cognitive dimensions is presented as a tool to grasp the phenomena under study.

Player Welfare and Privacy in the Sports Entertainment Industry

Abstract: In an era when games at the elite level are sports entertainment businesses many of the elite performers in different industries have evolved into celebrities: they exist as images, icons and brands whose every thought, action, change of style or partner is commodified and consumed. This article reports on one aspect of a research project that was funded by the Australian Football League (AFL) to explore the emergence and evolution of a `professional identity' for AFL footballers. Drawing on Foucault's later work on the care of the Self we focus on the ways in which player identities are governed by coaches, club officials, and the AFL Commission/Executive; and the manner in which players conduct themselves in ways that can be characterized as professional — or not. The article explores the roles of Player Development Managers (PDMs) in emerging processes of risk and player management that can be seen as intrusive in players' lives. The research we report on produced evidence of tensions between the pater...

Negotiations of being and becoming: minority ethnic rugby league players in the Cathar country of France.

Abstract: This article is based on new empirical, qualitative research with minority ethnic rugby league players in the southwest of France. Drawing on similar research on rugby league in the north and the south of England, the article examines how rugby league, traditionally viewed as a white, working-class male game (Collins, 2006; Denham, 2004; Spracklen, 1995, 2001) has had to re-imagine its symbolic boundaries as they are constituted globally and locally to accommodate the needs of players from minority ethnic backgrounds. In particular, the article examines the sense in which experiences of minority ethnic rugby league players in France compare with those of their counterparts in England (Spracklen, 2001, 2007), how rugby league is used in France to construct identity, and in what sense the norms associated with the imaginary community of rugby league are replicated or challenged by the involvement of minority ethnic rugby league players in France. Questions about what it means to be (provincial, national) French (Kumar, 2006) are posed, questions that relate to the role of sport in the construction of Frenchness, and in particular the role of rugby league (and union). © Copyright ISSA and SAGE Publications.

Brawling in Berne : mediated transnational moral panics in the 1954 Football World Cup

Abstract: This paper explores the use of national and racial stereotypes in the moral panic surrounding a case of athlete violence at the 1954 World Cup of Football, focussing on the differences in mediation of this event across three nations with different forms of involvement in or connection with the match. Texts are analysed from Norwegian and English national papers, and Swiss papers of German origin using Fairclough’s (1995a, 1995b, 2003) critical discourse analysis. Each of the three national settings presented four discursive perspectives: degradation of play, the referee, the locker room fight, and national racial stereotypes. The media have long operated as agents and stimulants of moral indignation (Hall et al, 1978; Cohen, 1972:80). The analysis explores the extent to and ways in which mediation of the violence may be understood through the logic of a moral panic, interpreted as a parallel to Fairclough’s societal discourse order. We argue that the discursive framing of the event in each national context reveals common significant characteristics in the understanding of significant variations in the national and racial stereotypes invoked that are specific to the implicit codes associated with national socio-cultural practices, and to reinforce asymmetrical power relations to manage a sense of cultural threat to Western and Northern European cultural codes.

Book Review: M. Messner, Out of Play: Critical Essays on Gender and Sport. Albany: SUNY Press, 2007, 227 pp., ISBN 978 0 7914 7172 2 (pbk)

Abstract: Michael Messer’s has previously contributed several texts to the sociology of sport and the study of gender, not least his seminal 1992 text Power at Play, which explores sport and issues of masculinity and the more recent Taking the Field (2002), which explores gender relations between males and females within sport in a variety of settings. In the foreword to Messner’s new book, Raewyn Connell sums up the importance of Messner’s latest study of gender and sport by stating that: