Showing papers in "International Review for the Sociology of Sport in 2015"
TL;DR: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Coakley, a foundational scholar in the development of the sociology of sport, reflects on the lasting power of the Great Sport Myth (GSM) to shape sport as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Jay Coakley, a foundational scholar in the development of the sociology of sport, reflects on the lasting power of the Great Sport Myth (GSM) to shape ...
104 citations
TL;DR: This article investigated the attitudes of 22 academy-level association football (soccer) players who are potentially on the verge of becoming professional athletes and found that, as a result of these men belonging to a generation holding inclusive attitudes towards homosexuality, independent of whether they maintain contact with gay men, they are unanimously supportive of gay men coming out on their team.
Abstract: In this semi-structured interview research, we investigate the attitudes of 22 academy-level association football (soccer) players who are potentially on the verge of becoming professional athletes. We find that, as a result of these men belonging to a generation holding inclusive attitudes towards homosexuality, independent of whether they maintain contact with gay men, they are unanimously supportive of gay men coming out on their team. Thus, this research supports a growing body of literature suggesting that teamsport culture is no longer a bastion of homophobia in the UK. Their support includes athletes being unconcerned with sharing rooms with gay players, changing with them in the locker rooms, or relating to them on a social and emotional level. The only apprehension they maintain is that having a gay teammate might somewhat alter homosocial banter, as they would not want to offend that individual.
87 citations
TL;DR: This paper conducted a discourse analysis on 48 association football (soccer) message boards from across the United Kingdom concerning fans' views towards the presence of gay footballers and found that despite evidence of heteronormativity and some orthodox views towards homosexuality, a majority of supporters demonstrate more inclusivity through the rejection of posts that they feel have pernicious homophobic intent.
Abstract: This article presents the findings of a discourse analysis carried out on 48 association football (soccer) message boards from across the United Kingdom concerning fans’ views towards the presence of gay footballers. It draws on over 3000 anonymous posts to examine whether hegemonic or more inclusive forms of masculinity existed. The overall findings are that, despite evidence of heteronormativity and some orthodox views towards homosexuality, a majority of supporters demonstrate more inclusivity through the rejection of posts that they feel have pernicious homophobic intent. Rather than avoiding any contestation of these orthodox posts, fans frequently challenge them and suggest that on-the-field performance is what is valued the most.
80 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the specific interactions between actors involved in the production of performance influence the socialization process by which cyclists learn the skill of riding a bicycle. But, the authors focus on the specific interaction between actors.
Abstract: The objective of this article is to understand how the specific interactions between actors involved in the production of performance influence the socialization process by which cyclists learn the...
75 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors build upon recent scholarship on the globalization of youth culture and sport to examine the growing popularity of action sports in the Middle East and focus on the development of...
Abstract: In this paper we build upon recent scholarship on the globalization of youth culture and sport to examine the growing popularity of action sports in the Middle East. We focus on the development of ...
73 citations
TL;DR: The authors found no universal pattern for the treatment of openly lesbian athletes existed in this era of decreasing homohysteria, as with gay men in sport at the time, athletic capital influenced who came out, and heterosexism was prominent.
Abstract: Sociologists who examine the issue of lesbians in American sport in the 1980s and 1990s normally found overt and covert mechanisms of social discrimination. However, homophobia has been on a rapid decline over previous decades, and studies show attitudes toward female homosexuality in sport have improved since the research conducted on lesbian athletes in the mid-1990s. This article uses data collected between that epoch and current studies to analyze athletic narratives of openly lesbian team sport athletes in 2002. We find no universal pattern for the treatment of openly lesbian athletes existed in this era of decreasing homohysteria. However, as with gay men in sport at the time, athletic capital influenced who came out, and heterosexism was prominent.
60 citations
TL;DR: The 2010 FIFA World Cup was heralded by mainstream media outlets, the local organisers, the South African government and FIFA as an unequivocal success as discussed by the authors, but the reality is quite different.
Abstract: The 2010 FIFA World Cup was heralded by mainstream media outlets, the local organisers, the South African government and FIFA as an unequivocal success. The month-long spectacle saw South Africa take centre stage and host the world’s largest single sporting event. This occurred against a backdrop of rationales and promises made that the event would leave lasting legacies for all, in particular marginalised South Africans. The reality is quite different. In this article we consider the South African World Cup in the build up to Brazil 2014. We argue that the rationales and rhetoric are similar in both countries and suggest the reality for Brazil 2014 will be the same as South Africa 2010 in that the mega-event will be primarily funded by significant public investment, while the primary beneficiaries will be private capital and FIFA.
57 citations
TL;DR: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Alan Bairner, one of the most influential scholars to study the socio-cultural relationship between sport and nation, reflects on the dynamics of national identity and nationalism in sport.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Alan Bairner, one of the most influential scholars to study the socio-cultural relationship between sport and nation, reflects on the dynamics of national identity and nationalism in sport. Because the sociology of sport has too often taken for granted concepts such as nation, nation-state, nationality, national identity and nationalism, an ongoing need has been to engage debates about those concepts in mainstream nationalism studies. Because the most powerful form of national performance today may be seen in sport, understanding tensions between not only the national and global, but also between the nation-state and the historic nation and between nationality and national identity remain key challenges. Complex dynamics of competing identities may be seen in exemplar studies of sport in Spain relative to Catalonia and the ‘united’ (or not) qualities of the United Kingdom relative to Ireland, Scotland, Wales and, indeed, England. In the future, it is posed tha...
56 citations
TL;DR: The emerging field of sport for development has proliferated since the early 2000s under the auspices of global leadership emanating from the UN, FIFA, the IOC and governments facilitating national sport-for-all and sport (for) development programmes as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Cora Burnett, one of the world’s leading scholars on studying the ways that sport has been used for development, considers the trajectory, challenges and future for understanding sport’s role in conflict resolution and peace. The emerging field of sport-for-development has proliferated since the early 2000s under the auspices of global leadership emanating from the UN, FIFA, the IOC and governments facilitating national sport-for-all and sport (for) development programmes. In the wake of major events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup competitions, international development agencies collaborated with non-government organizations to address a wide range of social ills at grassroots levels across the world. Particular challenges for this line of research reside in tensions between donors who seek proof of how often limited focused programmes may have successfully addressed societal problems, and critical scholarship which may see such programmatic effo...
55 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences working for a year in southern Africa on a sport for development and peace (SDP) project is presented, reflecting on the ways in which some of my day-...
Abstract: This paper is an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences working for a year in southern Africa on a sport for development and peace (SDP) project. I reflect on the ways in which some of my day-...
53 citations
TL;DR: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Toni Bruce as discussed by the authors considered the development of sociology understanding of sport and sport in the context of fashion fashion and sport.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Toni Bruce – one of the leading scholars in understanding how media fashion gendered understandings of sport – considers the development of sociology o...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between involvement in sport and non-sport community organizations and social connectedness, and found that sport involvement was a predictor of social connectivity.
Abstract: This paper explores the relationship between involvement in sport and non-sport community organisations and social connectedness. Data were collected on types of community involvement, selected demographic variables and social connectedness. The findings support the contention that involvement in sport organisations is associated with increased levels of social connectedness. Sport involvement was found to be a predictor of social connectedness, while involvement in non-sport community organisations was not. The study also found that the tenure and intensity of involvement in organisations were not significantly associated with social connectedness scores.
TL;DR: In this article, the relative age effect (RAE) is determined with a chi-squared goodness-of-fit test based on a theoretical expected distribution of birthdates, but many authors choose to replace it by a uniform distribution in order to simplify calculations.
Abstract: Traditionally, the Relative Age Effect (RAE) is determined with a chi-squared goodness-of-fit test based on a theoretical expected distribution of birthdates. This distribution must be that of the parent population, but many authors choose to replace it by a uniform distribution in order to simplify calculations. The consequences of this simplification are: (a) the actual Type 1 risk is no longer controlled at the conventional threshold of significance; (b) this risk increases with the sample size; and (c) the associated goodness-of-fit test is biased. The importance of these problems is tested on a national population and on a population of registered players.
TL;DR: The trajectory of inquiry on women and football necessarily builds from recognition of "leaks" in hegemonic masculinity and the entrenched naturalization of football as a male social field as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, a leading figure in the sociology of sport in Denmark, Gertrud Pfister, considers an important line of research on women and football (soccer). The analysis uses a diverse set of theoretical lenses to examine women’s participation and reception in football. Constructivist understandings of gender are combined with notions of ‘leaky hegemony’, socialization, habitus, taste and social fields. The trajectory of inquiry on women and football necessarily builds from recognition of ‘leaks’ in hegemonic masculinity and the entrenched naturalization of football as a male social field. Women’s football gained hold in scholarly inquiry with comparative studies of participation, experiences, and policies in diverse national settings. Challenges in the area of women’s participation and legitimacy in football are rooted in persistent stereotyping and a related paucity of resources. Key questions remain in explaining women’s growing involvement in football and in understand...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between straight men joining gay teams in a context of Chinese sport clubs, and found that heterosexual men's participation in gay sport clubs is correlated with their sexual orientation.
Abstract: This article focuses on the little known phenomenon of heterosexual men’s participation in gay1 sport clubs. It explores the relationship between straight men joining gay teams in a context of chan...
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck (Austria) was built by means of observations and interviews, which revealed three central stakeholders for the YOG's sustainability: the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the media (press and broadcast), and the athletes' parents.
Abstract: This paper explored the Youth Olympic Games’ (YOG) potential sustainability (survival and success) through an analysis of how actors exert various forms of pressure on the YOG. Given the impact of the Olympic Games and of youth on society, it becomes important to study the newest member of the Olympic Family. Combining stakeholder, network and institutional literatures, a case study of the first Winter YOG in Innsbruck (Austria) was built by means of observations and interviews. The stakeholder network analysis revealed three central stakeholders for the YOG’s sustainability: the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the media (press and broadcast), and the athletes’ parents. The institutional context was challenged by stakeholders’ changing levels of relative saliency, and notably by the parents’ emerging saliency. Practically speaking, YOG managers need to be diplomats in balancing pressures originating from the international (IOC) and local (parents) institutional contexts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the effect of attending a TTS on the sport and education performance levels of talented athletes, and found that those who had attended TTS were less motivated to do well in school and attained lower educational levels in both their secondary school and further education.
Abstract: In order to help talented athletes to attain the highest possible level in both their sport and education, Topsport Talent Schools (TTS) were founded in the Netherlands in 1991 This research aims to investigate the effect of attending a TTS on the sport and education performance levels of talented athletes A retrospective study was conducted amongst 242 (former) talented athletes from six sport federations Results indicate that attending a TTS did not influence the current and highest attained sport performance levels of talented athletes (at both junior and senior level) Neither were talents who had attended a TTS more satisfied about the combination of school and sport, nor were they more motivated for their sport Furthermore, results indicated that talents who had attended TTS were less motivated to do well in school; also they attained lower educational levels in both their secondary school and further education
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the trajectory and challenges of research on sports mega-events and their place in capitalist modernity and pose broader questions for further investigation about the economic, political, and social risks and benefits of sports mega events and how these events may portend and relate to changing relations of economic and political power.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, one of the leading international scholars on sport and consumer culture, John Horne, considers the trajectory and challenges of research on sports mega-events and their place in capitalist modernity. In anchoring work on this topic in Roche’s definition of mega-events, Horne notes that sports mega-events are important symbolic, economic, and political elements in the orientation of nations to stake their place in global society. Fundamental issues about the concept of ‘mega-event’ pose challenges for scholars as questions remain over what qualifies as a sports mega-event and how ‘lived experience’ with such events transacts with media spectacularization and characterization. The essay closes by posing broader questions for further investigation about the economic, political, and social risks and benefits of sports mega-events and how these events may portend and relate to changing relations of economic and political power on a global scale.
TL;DR: In sport sociology, sport sociology has been intricately tied with the study of masculinities since the early 1990s in the West as mentioned in this paper, and contemporary masculinity scholarship shows a changed relationship between men’s masculinity and hegemonic dominance.
Abstract: Sport sociology has been intricately tied with the
study of masculinities since the early 1990s
in the West. The field was first established in exa
mining white male athlete’s masculinity,
particularly noting its root in homophobia in the f
orging of a hegemonic form of masculinity.
However, contemporary masculinity scholarship shows
a changed relationship between
men’s masculinity and hegemonic dominance. Current
research examines men’s
masculinities in an era of decreased homohysteria,
finding teamsport athletes inclusive of
homosexuality. This simultaneously permits heterose
xual men to live within greatly
expanded gender terrains. The challenge for sport s
ociologist concerned with masculinities
today, is to expand the locus of investigation to t
he intersectional demographics of varying
races, geographical locations, religious beliefs, a
ge and other important demographics.
TL;DR: The analysis of the comments posted on internet forums by fans demonstrates the how inter-club rivalry is fuelling player abuse and racism as discussed by the authors, as well as increased global migration has altered the demographics of cities across the peninsular.
Abstract: Italian football has been in crisis for a number of years as global transformations and internal politics have manifested themselves in corruption, fan violence and financial insecurity. In addition to these, there has also been an increase in racism on the terraces as increased global migration has altered the demographics of cities across the peninsular. Although racism is widespread across many ethnic groups, African footballers in particular have become the symbolic objects of abuse from rival supporters. One footballer in particular has been constructed as an important symbol of this increased global migration: Mario Balotelli. As the son of Ghanaian immigrants, but raised as an Italian by adoptive parents, Balotelli symbolises the transformations within Italy as it comes to terms with its contemporary multi-culturalism. Through analysis of the comments posted on internet forums by fans, this article demonstrates the how inter-club rivalry is fuelling player abuse and racism.
TL;DR: In this article, interviews were conducted with 10 US newspaper sport journalists to gauge their experiences and attitudes toward issues and coverage of open and closeted gay men in sport, sport media, and within society, finding that sport journalists are reluctant to report on athletes' non-normative sexual orientation, even if that means a competitor could scoop them on a story about a major athlete being gay.
Abstract: In this research, interviews were conducted with 10 US newspaper sport journalists to gauge their experiences and attitudes toward issues and coverage of open and closeted gay men in sport, sport media, and within society. Concerning closeted athletes, most of these journalists are reluctant to report on athletes’ non-normative sexual orientation, even if that means a competitor could scoop them on a story about a major athlete being gay. Most of these reporters believe that US sport fans are ready for openly gay athletes in professional men’s team sports, but that locker rooms might be slower to adapt. Despite these progressive attitudes and more than 220 years of collective professional media experience, none of these journalists ever worked with a sports reporter who was openly gay to all of their colleagues. Therefore, it was not surprising that most believed sport journalism would be a challenging career for openly gay men, particularly if those individuals also did not conform to gender-normative no...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore how women define and understand sport with the goal of better understanding female fandom and find that women's interest is predominantly reflected not through consumption, but through participation.
Abstract: The notion of sports fandom is generally built on the ways men understand and relate to sport. In this research, we explore how women, who come together in an online place, define and understand sport with the goal of better understanding female fandom. Using Coakley’s ((2004) Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: McGraw-Hill) framework for conceptualizing sport and Lenskyj’s ((1994) Women, Sport, and Physical Activity: Selected Research Themes. Gloucester, ON, Canada: Sport Information Resource Centre for Sport Canada) feminist approaches to competition, we analyzed the profiles of women bloggers who write about sports in two online communities, BlogHer and Women Talk Sports, to examine their relationship to sport from a feminist perspective. The analysis suggests that women’s interest is predominantly reflected, not through consumption, but through participation. In addition, women in these networks complicated dominant ideologies about the role of sport as many of them considered parti...
TL;DR: In this article, a study of the role played by high-profile Kenyan runners in the organization of Run-for-Peace events that took place in response to election-related violence in Kenya in late 2007 and early 2008 is presented.
Abstract: This paper reports findings from a study of the role played by high-profile Kenyan runners in the organization of Run-for-Peace events that took place in response to election-related violence in Kenya in late 2007 and early 2008. Acknowledging concerns expressed by some sociologists of sport about the role of celebrity athletes in the sport for development and peace movement, we suggest that in the particular contexts we studied, high-profile athletes played a crucial role in the organization of reconciliation events. Informed by interviews with former and current elite Kenyan runners and others involved in the organization of these events, we argue that the apparent effectiveness of the athletes in mobilizing resources, pursuing political opportunities and devising a collective action frame was possible because of the extant positioning of the athletes in the impacted communities, the active involvement in and personal investment of the athletes in the outcome of the peace-promoting activities, and the u...
TL;DR: In this article, social changes have been influencing determinants for sports participation since the introduction of the Sport for All ideology in the early 1970s, consistent with Crum's sportisation theory.
Abstract: Social changes have been influencing determinants for sports participation since the introduction of the Sport for All ideology in the early 1970s. Consistent with Crum’s sportisation theory, today...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a descriptive analysis of this data and discuss the findings, concluding that whilst there are major limitations to working with information gathered in this way, a sustainable telephone helpline can provide a valuable service for the sports community.
Abstract: Following a high-profile case of child sexual abuse in sport in 1996, the Netherlands Olympic Committee and the Netherlands Sports Confederation (NOC*NSF) established a telephone ‘helpline’ service on sexual harassment and abuse (SHA). In order to expand their understanding of this problem, NOC*NSF maintained written records of incidents reported to the helpline. These records revealed 323 separate incidents for the period 2001 to 2010. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of this data and discusses the findings. We conclude that whilst there are major limitations to working with information gathered in this way, a sustainable telephone ‘helpline’ can provide a valuable service for the sports community. Whilst official sources of data are known to under represent the scale of sexual abuse, through collaboration with researchers, such services can also generate important information for policymakers.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on how individual athletes relate to historical and macro- structural power relations and forces in sports labour migration, focusing on the role of sport labour migration.
Abstract: To date, studies of sports labour migration have afforded little attention to analyses of how individual athletes relate to historical and macro- structural power relations and forces. In this arti...
TL;DR: The English Football Association's (FA) Action Plan entitled ‘Opening Doors and Joining In’, published in early 2012, aims to promote the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&...
Abstract: The English Football Association’s (FA’s) Action Plan entitled ‘Opening Doors and Joining In’, published in early 2012, aims to promote the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&...
TL;DR: The authors examined Chinese and US newspaper coverage of the controversial performance of female Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen during the 2012 London Olympics and found that US coverage showed more skepticism on the doping issue; meanwhile, Chinese coverage exhibited a strong desire to protect its national image and national identity through defending Ye as unquestionably innocent.
Abstract: This study examined Chinese and US newspaper coverage of the controversial performance of female Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen during 2012 London Summer Olympics. While Ye won two gold medals, the ease in which she did so led to doping suspicions in Western media. Analysis of 222 articles from the US and China revealed sharp differences between the two countries’ amount of coverage about Ye, highlighting the valence and usage pattern of information sources as well. US coverage of Ye Shiwen was not as extensive as in China, and gender and nationality-based dialogues were present in newspaper reports. US coverage showed more skepticism on the doping issue; meanwhile, Chinese coverage exhibited a strong desire to protect its national image and national identity through defending Ye as unquestionably innocent. From a theoretical perspective, a framed “us versus them” dichotomy suggests that both countries’ coverages were still strongly influenced by the hostile ideologies beyond mere Olympic performances.
TL;DR: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Belinda Wheaton, a key figure in understanding emerging, high-risk, and lifestyle sports and their cultures, assesses developments in the sociology of sport.
Abstract: On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, Belinda Wheaton, a key figure in understanding emerging, high-risk, and lifestyle sports and their cultures, assesses developments in the sociology of ...
TL;DR: This paper examined the gender and sexual understandings of high school wrestlers, mainly through the lens of inclusive masculinity theory, by exploring the level of acceptance and acceptance of women in high school wrestling programs.
Abstract: This article examines the gender and sexual understandings of high school wrestlers, mainly through the lens of inclusive masculinity theory. It does so by exploring the level of acceptance partici...