Showing papers on "Contemporary society published in 2012"

Religion and Organization: A Critical Review of Current Trends and Future Directions

Abstract: Given the profound role that religion continues to play in contemporary societies, it is surprising that management researchers have not explored the intersection between religion and organization ...

The Time of Youth: Work, Social Change, and Politics in Africa

Abstract: Most young Africans are living in "waithood," a period of suspension between childhood and adulthood. Failed neo-liberal economic policies, bad governance and political instability have caused stable jobs to disappear-without jobs that pay living wages, these young people cannot support families, thus becoming fully participating members of society. As this limbo becomes pervasive and prolonged, waithood in Africa becomes seemingly permanent, gradually replacing conventional adulthood. And with the deepening of the world economic crisis, youth in Europe, North America and other parts of the world face the same crisis of joblessness and restricted futures. In The Time of Youth, Alcinda Honwana examines the lives of young people in Africa, drawing on in-depth interviews in four countries: Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. While the case studies are local to Africa, the book argues that the "waithood generation" is global, and possesses a tremendous transformative potential, as young people believe the struggle to overcome their predicament requires radical social and political change. From riots and protests in the streets of Maputo, Dakar, Madrid, London, New York and Santiago, to revolutions that overthrow dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the "waithood generation" is taking upon itself to redress the wrongs of contemporary society and remake the world.

Misunderstanding the Internet

Abstract: The growth of the internet has been spectacular There are now more 15 billion internet users across the globe, about one quarter of the worlds population This is certainly a new phenomenon that is of enormous significance for the economic, political and social life of contemporary societies However, much popular and academic writing about the internet takes a technologically deterministic view, assuming that the internets potential will be realised in essentially transformative ways This was especially true in the euphoric moment of the mid-1990s, when many commentators wrote about the internet with awe and wonderment While this moment may be over, its underlying technocentrism the belief that technology determines outcomes lingers on, and with it, a failure to understand the internet in its social, economic and political context Misunderstanding the Internet is a short introduction, encompassing the history, sociology, politics and economics of the internet and its impact on society The book has a simple three part structure: Part 1 looks at the history of the internet, and offers an overview of the internets place in society Part 2 focuses on the control and economics of the internet Part 3 examines the internets political and cultural influence Misunderstanding the Internet is a polemical, sociologically and historically informed textbook that aims to challenge both popular myths and existing academic orthodoxies around the internet

How to Study Contemporary Capitalism

Abstract: The paper argues that contemporary capitalism must be studied as a society rather than an economy, and contemporary society as capitalist society. Capitalism is defined as a specific institutionalization of economic action in the form of a specifically dynamic system of social action, with a tendency to expand into, impose itself on and consume its non-economic and non-capitalist social and institutional context, unless contained by political resistance and regulation. The paper illustrates its perspective by four brief sketches, depicting contemporary capitalism as a historically dynamic social order, a culture, a polity, and a way of life. All four examples, it is claimed, demonstrate the superiority of a longitudinal-historical approach over static cross-sectional comparisons, and of focusing on the commonalities of national versions of capitalisms rather than their ‘‘varieties’’.

Ten suggestions for improving academic research in education and technology

Abstract: Despite the ever-increasing use of digital technologies in contemporary society, education researchers have yet to fully get to grips with the ‘digital age’. While the topic attracts large amounts ...

Seeing Like a Feminist

Abstract: A bold and wide ranging book which reaorders contemporary contemporary society through a feminist lens.

Some Reflections on Manuel Castells’ Book "Networks of Outrage and Hope. Social Movements in the Internet Age".

Abstract: This paper provides critical reflections on Manuel Castells’ (2012) book Networks of Outrage and Hope. Social Movements in the Internet Age that analyses the “nature and perspectives of networked social movements” (p. 4) and gives special focus to the role of “social media” in movements that emerged in 2011 in Tunisia, Iceland, Egypt, Spain and the United States. I situate Castells’ book in an intellectual discourse that focuses on the political implications of social media and that has involved Clay Shirky, Malcolm Gladwell and Evgeny Morozov. The article also discusses the role of social theory and empirical research in Castells’ book, presents as an alternative a theoretical model of the relationship between social movements and the media, discusses the implications that some empirical data that focus on social media in the Egyptian revolution and the Occupy Wall Street movement have for Castells’ approach, discusses how Castells positions himself towards capitalism and compares his explanation of the crisis and his political views to David Harvey’s approach. Section overview: 1. Introduction 2. Social Media and Politics: A Controversy between Clay Shirky, Malcolm Gladwell and Evgeny Morozov 3. Castells on Social Media in the Context of Protests and Revolutions: The Dimension of Social Theory 4. Social Theory Recovered: A Model of the Relationship between Social Movements and the Media 5. Castells on Social Media in the Context of Protests and Revolutions: The Dimension of Empirical Research 6. Manuel Castells and David Harvey: The Question of Political Struggle - For or against Capitalism? 7. Conclusion

Immigrant Teachers in Australia

Abstract: One of the features of contemporary society is the increasing global mobility of professionals. While the education industry is a key site of the demand for contemporary global professional migration, little attention has been given to the global circulation of education professionals. Over past decades, immigrant teachers have been an important component of skilled and professional immigration into Australia, there is no comprehensive contemporary national study of the experiences of immigrant teachers in Australia. This article aims to fill this gap and to answer questions about their decision to move to Australia, their experience with Australian Education Departments in getting appointed to a school, their experiences as teachers in the classroom and in their new Australian community. It draws on primary data sources - in the form of a survey of 269 immigrant teachers in schools in NSW, SA and WA conducted in 2008-9 - and secondary sources - in the form of the 2006 national census and Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants in Australia – to provide insights into immigrant teachers in Australian schools, adding also to our understanding of Australia’s contemporary immigration experience.

Religion and the Body

Abstract: This book reflects on the implications of neurobiology and the scientific worldview on aspects of religious experience, belief, and practice. Just as interest in the neurosciences and related fields has burgeoned in contemporary society, interest in the fields of neuroscience and cognitive studies is also growing within the religious studies academy, and reflection on these shifts is well overdue. How do religious practitioners negotiate the interconnection of science and religion? What can the neurosciences add to scholars’ understanding of religion and to how humans construct religious meaning? Chapters address these questions by investigating religious experience and authority, the cultural construction and deconstruction of the body, and cross-cultural appropriations of the body.

Non-western contexts: The invisible half:

Abstract: Like many other disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (e.g., anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, etc.), consumer research is also highly navigated by scholars from Western countries. This, however, does not mean, by any means, that consumer research is devoted to studying Western contexts only. As evident from the ever-increasing number of regional conferences (e.g., Asia-Pacific and Latin American conferences of the Association for Consumer Research) and non-Western students' enrolment in doctoral programs at Western universities, there are many more researchers (from non-Western countries) who are entering the field and enriching it by their colourful contributions. Yet, given the low number of publications on consumer research in non-Western contexts, it seems that our current knowledge in these societies has a long way to go to flourish. More specifically, and in the domain of consumption culture research, this gap is even further widened by the fact that the culture of consumption in such contexts is largely interpreted with reference to the 'grand narratives' of Western scholars (e.g., Foucault, Mafessoli, Bourdieu, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Derrida, etc.). Therefore, from an ontological perspective, it seems that our existing knowledge about non-Western societies lies heavily on the 'theoretical structures' that are 'constructed' by Western philosophy as a set of ideas, beliefs, and practices (Said, 1978). As Belk (1995) reminds us, consumption culture always existed in all human societies. What makes contemporary societies different from that of our predecessors' is not the fact that consumption culture did not exist in those societies, but that consumption culture has become a prevailing feature in modern society (Slater, 1997; Lury, 1996; Firat and Venkatesh, 1995; McCracken, 1988). Therefore, the nature and dynamics of consumption culture in each society should be studied not only against the sociocultural, historical, and economic background of a given context (Western or non-Western) but also with reference to the philosophical and epistemological viewpoints that analyse and interpret cultural practices of that society from within that culture. Addressing such issues, this paper discusses some of the key reasons for lack of theory development in the field from non-western contexts. The paper invites scholars in non-Western contexts to introduce the less articulated, and sometime hidden, body of knowledge from their own contexts into the field of marketing in general and consumer research in particular.

Quantitative Evidence of the Continuing Significance of Race: Tableside Racism in Full-Service Restaurants

Abstract: Despite popular claims that racism and discrimination are no longer salient issues in contemporary society, members of racially underrepresented groups continue to experience disparate treatment in everyday public interactions. The context of full-service restaurants is one such public setting wherein African Americans, in particular, encounter racial prejudices and discriminatory treatment. To further understand the pervasiveness of such anti-Black attitudes and actions within the restaurant context, this article analyzes primary survey data derived from a community sample of servers (N = 200). Participants were asked a series of questions ascertaining information about the racial climate of their workplaces. Findings reveal substantial server negativity toward African Americans' tipping and dining behaviors. Racialized discourse and discriminatory behaviors are also shown to be quite common in the restaurant context. The anti-Black attitudes and actions that the authors document in this research are illustrative of the continuing significance of race in contemporary society, and the authors encourage further research on this relatively neglected area of inquiry.

Stripping the Political Cynic: A Psychological Exploration of the Concept of Political Cynicism

Abstract: The high level of political cynicism in contemporary society is often considered a serious threat to democracy. The concept, however, has received only scant attention in psychology. The current wo...

Contemporary constitutionalism and the dialectic of constituent power

Abstract: This article examines the changing status of constituent power in contemporary constitutionalism. It considers how, at face value, contemporary constitutional law reflects a post-constituent constitutional order, which is defined by a rupture with classical constitutional principles, such that the extra-legal source of constitutional order is diminished. However, it argues that the common perception of a decline in constituent power in constitutional norm construction is marked by an excessively literalistic understanding of the origins of constitutional norms and practices. As an alternative, drawing on systems-theoretical methodologies, the article proposes a functionalist, sociologically attuned reconstruction of the historical content of constitutional concepts, including the concept of constituent power. Through this perspective, it explains that constituent power, in conjunction with constitutional rights, always acted, not as an externally founding source of political agency, but as an inner projection of the political system, which served the internal organization of the political system as a distinct societal domain. The article concludes that the transnational constitutional models which are widespread in contemporary society, far from negating constituent power, re-articulate its primary functions, and they realize potentials for preserving the autonomy of the political system which constituent power always contained.

The Relevance of Class in Education Policy and Research—The case of Sweden’s Vocational Education

Abstract: Over the last few decades, less importance has been attached to the concept of class in educational policy and educational research. Due to the continued relevance of class in many educational contexts, this article argues that this trend is unfortunate, untimely and unwarranted, and that important questions are overlooked as a result. As a case in point, the article examines contemporary policy trends in upper-secondary vocational education in Sweden. The article comprises two interrelated sections. The first discusses the more general matter of the relevance of class (and its critique) and how class can be understood in contemporary society. Following the conclusions from part one, the second section demonstrates how problems arise when vocational education is removed from its class context, illustrated by contemporary policy trends in Sweden where not only issues of class are ignored, but policies are also adopted that are likely to augment class inequalities.

The Moral Dimension of Lifelong Learning Giddens, Taylor, and the “Reflexive Project of the Self”

Abstract: A key aspect of contemporary lifelong learning theory, policy, and practice is the idea that, because of rapid changes in contemporary societies, there is a constant need for individuals to learn n

Decoupling Religion and Ethnicity: Second-Generation Indian American Christians

Abstract: Classic assimilation theory was based on the assumption of individualistic adaptation, with immigrants and their children expected to shed their ethnic identities to become Americans. In the sphere of religion, however, they could maintain their communitarian traditions through American denominations. In contemporary society, multiculturalism, spiritual seeking, and postdenominationalism have reversed this paradigm. First- and second-generation immigrants integrate by remaining ethnic and group-identified, but religion is viewed as a personal quest. This paper examines how this paradigm shift affects the ethnic and religious behavior of second-generation Americans. It is based on research among Malankara Syrian Christians belonging to an ancient South Indian community.

Sacred spaces in public places: religious and spiritual plurality in health care

Abstract: Several intriguing developments mark the role and expression of religion and spirituality in society in recent years. In what were deemed secular societies, flows of increased sacralization (variously referred to as 'new', 'alternative', 'emergent' and 'progressive' spiritualities) and resurgent globalizing religions (sometimes with fundamentalist expressions) are resulting in unprecedented plurality. These shifts are occurring in conjunction with increasing ethnic diversity associated with global migration, as well as other axes of difference within contemporary society. Democratic secular nations such as Canada are challenged to achieve social cohesion in the face of growing religious, spiritual and ethnic diversity. These challenges are evident in the high-paced, demanding arena of Health care. Here, religious and spiritual plurality enter in, sometimes resulting in conflict between medical services and patients' beliefs, other times provoking uncertainties on the part of healthcare professionals about what to do with their own religiously or spiritually grounded values and beliefs. In this paper, we present selected findings from a 3-year study that examined the negotiation of religious and spiritual pluralism in Health care. Our focus is on the themes of 'sacred' and 'place', exploring how the sacred - that which is attributed as special and set apart as it pertains to the divine, transcendence, God or higher power - takes form in social and material spaces in hospitals.

Giving in early modern history: philanthropy in Amsterdam in the Golden Age

Abstract: Philanthropy was enduring in early modern Europe. For centuries local charities gave small sums that helped many people to survive. Such charity can be studied from below, from the persepective of survival strategies, and from above, from the perspective of social control, but it can also be studied as scholars of philanthropic studies do for contemporary societies. This article does the latter. It pays attention to benefactors and benefactions; how many people gave and who were they?; when, where and what did benefactors give, and what were their motives? The article places an in-depth study of Amsterdam from the late sixteenth to the end of the eighteenth century in the context of the literature on early modern European philanthropy.

Museums as playful venues in the leisure society

Abstract: Our focus in this manuscript is on the ‘playful’ aspect of cultural consumption in the context of the museum. We discuss how museum visitors can experience moments of ‘play’ through engagement with the museum exhibits. Although the concept of entertainment has already been extensively discussed in the literature in the form of, for example, family visits and interaction through electronic devices, we seek to further advance the discussions of playful engagement to highlight the importance of conceptualising museums as playful venues in contemporary society. We argue how in the conditions of postmodernity – where experience is driven and (re)shaped by hyper-reality and imagination – the visitor experience can be optimised. We locate museums within the broader context of society in which multiple competing entertaining entities (such as theme parks, TV shows, theatres, and the like) exist. As the core of our debate we argue that in a leisure-driven society (as it is or is becoming) museums can play a crucial role in capturing individuals’ imagination and fantasies towards creating memorable experiences. We build our discussion on the classic literature pertinent to motivations that drive leisure activities.

Evolutionary Psychology: A Fresh Perspective for Understanding and Changing Problematic Behavior

Abstract: From rising obesity and soaring health care costs to escalating violence and environmental degradation, contemporary society faces many challenges. Are there policies that are naturally effective in changing the behaviors that produce these problems? In this article, the authors examine some of the roots of socially problematic behavior by taking an evolutionary perspective that considers human nature. They review four insights that an evolutionary approach provides into human behavior. Then they discuss how a deeper understanding of the ancestral roots of modern behavior can provide a fresh perspective for policy makers and public administrators while also providing fertile ground for novel research and applications for altering behavior. The central takeaway is that optimal strategies for changing problematic behaviors require harnessing our deep-seated ancestral nature rather than ignoring it or working against it. © 2012 by The American Society for Public Administration.

Cartoons can talk? Visual analysis of cartoons on the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya: A visual argumentation approach:

Abstract: The growing influence of the visual media in contemporary society is quite alarming; hence, learning to explicate them is inevitable. This is a paradigm shift from verbal argumentation to visual ar...

The biomedical doctorate in the contemporary university: education or training and why it matters

Abstract: The form and function(s) of doctoral education continue to be a subject of much debate by stakeholders internal and external to the university. Notable concerns driving this debate derive from a seemingly discursive array of factors including increasing student numbers, increased understanding of the economic value of doctoral graduates, capitalisation of the academic market and a focus on allocating funding using ostensibly narrow, arbitrary measures of ‘program success’ such as completion rates/time to completion, all framed by a wider debate regarding precisely what constitutes valid knowledge in contemporary society. Within the university, the biomedical sciences are one area of scholarship undergoing rapid change in this respect. One of the salient outcomes of these internal and external dialogues is the apparent transition of biomedical doctoral education towards a ‘training model’ that places increasing emphasis on rapid completion and the generation of ‘industry ready graduates’; a transition that is, potentially, occurring at the expense of the edifying and transformative aspects of biomedical doctoral education. Focusing on the effects of academic capitalisation, this paper draws on data from Australia and Europe to examine the drivers and potential effect(s) of this shift on contemporary doctoral education in the biomedical sciences. This paper acknowledges the potential benefit of contemporary developments whilst simultaneously concluding that by progressing too far towards a quantitatively assessed, industry-driven training model we risk eliminating the intellectual and societal transforming aspects of biomedical doctoral education that make graduates increasingly valuable to our economy and, just as importantly, to our society as a whole.

Toward a Sensorial Urbanism

Abstract: In recent years, the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) has set to question at the assumptions on which architects operate. We have embarked on the study and revision of an undeclared territory of false assumptions, preconceptions, and attitudes in an attempt to evidence hidden agendas. We seek to investigate and explore the "grey zone" of contemporary culture, contemporary society, and contemporary architecture to critically expose its contradictions. The CCA's participation in the 2nd International Congress on Ambiances is inscribed inside a larger effort to study experience in a more critical and productive way. This effort is not directed towards finding or offering possible solutions but in revealing diverse directions and potentials. It is deliberately both a critique of our present conditions and a suggestion for alternative paths.

Loving the Poor, Saving the Rich: Wealth, Poverty, and Early Christian Formation

Abstract: Contents Introduction 1. The Social, Economic, and Theological World of Early Christianity 2. Wealth, Poverty, and Eschatology 3. Wealth, Poverty, and Salvation 4. Wealth, Poverty, and Koinonia 5. Wealth, Poverty, and Ecclesiastical Control 6. Wealth, Poverty, and Christian Identity 7. Wealth, Poverty, and Christian Response in Contemporary Society Indexes

Growth and crisis of the Korean citizens’ movement

Abstract: Introduction Following the collapse of military regimes in 1987, Korean society witnessed the popularization of the concept of “civil society,” and the vocabularies of “civic movements” or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have since gained familiarity. In addition, civil society, during the time, found itself to sprout alongside capitalist industrialization, the formation of urban middle class, and growth of media in Korea. However, it is widely recognized that it was democratization that caused the flowering of civil society in Korea, not vice versa. The collapse of the military regimes activated the Gramscian concept of “political society,” the arena of political parties or political activity, and further consolidated civil society. During this time, labor unions were organized, many kinds of civic organizations were established, alternative media emerged, and diverse forms of interest groups were also founded. In particular, during the mid-1990s, civic organizations related to women, the environment, and human rights got off to a start, and many grassroots organizations formed alongside the launch of local self-governing systems. According to the Hanguk min-gan danche chongnam (Directory of Korean NGOs, 2000), the number of NGOs almost doubled within the three years of 1996 to 1999. By specific field, the majority fell under the category of “civil society,” which far exceeded the number of groups categorized under the title of “social service” and “culture-related” groups (Hankyoreh, October 20, 2000). It can be determined from this that the increase in the number of national and local civic groups was the main contributor to the numerical increase of NGOs. Interest groups and labor unions can be excluded, though some of them can be included in the broader term of NGOs. Hereby NGOs can be broadly divided into two categories: one is “groups for social service,” the other “citizens’ movement organizations.” This chapter is primarily concerned with the latter type. For types of NGO, see Cho (2000, 129). Even more noteworthy than this quantitative growth is the increase in the influence of civic groups or citizens’ movements. It is widely accepted that civic groups are no less important than government or businesses in contemporary society. In Korea, in particular, these civic organizations have exerted great influence on various matters, including theformation of public opinion, policy planning, elections, and social reforms. A survey conducted in 2001 found that citizens’ groups were ranked as the fourth most influential group (Sisa Press, October 25, 2001), and one survey (2004) reported that citizens’ groups were the most influential in Korea, surpassing the popular sway of political parties. According to the survey, the rate of respondents who thought civil groups to be the most influential was 28.9 percent, which was followed by the ruling Uri Party 23.7 percent, and the press, 18.1 percent. However, over recent several years, Korea’s citizens’ movement suffered various internal hardships. The globalization of capitalist accumulation as well as neoliberal economic policy in Korea since 1997’s economic crisis, have required repositioning on the substance, objectives, strategy, and method of the citizens’ movement. In addition, external factors – political parties, government, and businesses – that influence the substance and scope of the citizens’ movement have changed greatly. Thus, it can be said that the Korean citizens’ movement has entered the stage of repositioning its societal role, while already passing the rapid expansion found in its early stage. Activists have felt that the current situation is one of crisis. With this in mind, this chapter examines general characteristics of the Korean citizens’ movement that was active following the 1990s, along with the movement’s contribution to democratization of Korean society. The chapter then investigates the current status of the citizens’ movement and the challenges it faces.

Figuring Freddie: Andrew Flintoff, the Ashes and English national identity

Abstract: This article examines the media portrayal of Flintoff during that 2009 Ashes series The paper argues that sport provides contemporary societies with the celebrities which best represent national i

The Leisure of Young People in Contemporary Society

Abstract: This paper examines how the leisure of young people in Western Europe has changed since the 1950s. It considers the effects of the extension of the youth life stage, the shift into a post-industrial era, and the steep increases in leisure spending that have occurred. The paper considers the ways in which youth cul- tures have now become milieu where social relationships and divi- sions are changed rather than reproduced, argues that this is most plausible in relation to gender, for some but not all ethnic divisions, and wholly implausible in relation to social class. It is argued that class differences in childhood leisure socialisation which result in the acquisition of different amounts and types of cultural capital, plus the social relationships formed among social equals, enable class differences to be maintained throughout the youth life stage even though young people on most social class trajectories share much leisure in common.

To live as mentally disabled in the risk society.

Abstract: The contemporary society is to some extent characterized by longitudinal changes, towards individualization, uncertainty, and risk. Numerous risks and dangers in modern society have been mastered, while others have emerged, often created by human actions. The individual's freedom of choice has increased, but also the responsibility for the choices made. In this society, the risk society, there is a greater need for formative and situation-related knowledge to manage risks. The aims of this paper are to discuss the concept of risk society in the light of everyday experiences made by people with mental disabilities, how challenges can be mastered and positive possibilities can be utilized. Data collection was made through a multistage focus group, and the data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The results show that characteristics of the risk society are identified by people with mental disabilities. Change and uncertainty, obstacles created by societal institutions, lack of trust, and the need of adapted working conditions are frequently experienced, impersonal relations and feelings of loneliness as well. However, these conditions can be partly counteracted by belonging to an alternative fellowship, which might lead to quality of life-related personal improvements.

Sport and the neoliberal conjuncture:Complicating the consensus

Abstract: We begin this book by locating our writing in what are very interesting times. We are but a stone's throw into the new millennium, yet we are in a moment dominated by perpetual war; financial crises; enhanced security; terror threats; the seeming ubiquitous celebration of the free market; an increased emphasis on individual responsibility for all facets of everyday life; a rampant media and culture industry that entertains us and educates us in how to act, behave, and live; higher education systems that increasingly act as handmaidens for government and corporations; and the downgrading and diminished import of any public and social services (health services, education, transportation, and so on). As popular cultural forms-both in terms of popularity and in the sense that Stuart Hall (1981) proposed, with respect to how they function as a continuing tension (relationship, influence, and antagonism) to the dominant culture-sporting practices, experiences, and structures are far from distinct from this context. As Giardina (2005, 7) proposes, contemporary sport finds itself sutured into and through this context; "global (cultural) sporting agents, intermediaries, and institutions actively work as pedagogical sites to hegemonically re-inscribe and re-present (hetero)-normative discourses on sport, culture, nation, and democracy throughout an ascendant global capitalist order." Thus, this book offers an insight into how sport, as a component of popular culture, acts as a powerful educational force that, through pedagogical relations and practices, organizes identity, citizenship, and agency within a neoliberal present (Giroux and Giroux 2006). We begin by thinking through the current neoliberal moment, both in the United States and, to some degree, beyond (specifically the United Kingdom and Canada). It is our contention that neoliberalism has its ideological and figurative core in the United States-hence the focus of this project. Nonetheless, it equally possesses a truly international reach. This signposts our future work examining the relationship between sport and neoliberalism in a variety of national contexts (settings that differ in terms of geography, level of economic development, and mode of governance, and thus the precise way that the sport and neoliberalism relation is enacted). Having spatially and historically located the trajectory of neoliberalism in its seemingly relentless march toward becoming an ascendant ordering logic of contemporary societies, we then begin to sketch how such processes have been manifest in sport, suggesting that much work is needed to begin to understand the variety of ways that neoliberalism (in its various mutations) has been both understood and mobilized within sporting contexts. This leads to introducing each of the chapters solicited for this text, contributions that begin to fill the void in our understandings of the articulations between the heterogeneous complexities of neoliberal ideology, political praxis, pedagogy, and sport.