The Sociology of Sports

This third edition takes a fresh approach to the study of sport, presenting key concepts such as socialization, race, ethnicity, gender, economics, religion, politics, deviance, violence, school sports and sportsmanship. While providing a critical examination of athletics, this text also highlights many of sports’ positive features. This new edition includes significantly updated statistics, data and information along with updated popular culture references and real-world examples. Newly explored is the impact of several major world events that have left lasting effects on the sports realm, including a global pandemic (SARS-CoV-2, or Covid-19) and social movements like Black Lives Matter and Me Too. Another new topic is the “pay for play” movement, wherein college athletes demanded greater compensation and, at the very least, the right to profit from their own names, images and likenesses.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Tim Delaney is a professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Oswego. He regularly teaches sociology of sport courses and is the Director of the Sports Studies program at SUNY Oswego.

Tim Madigan is a professor and department chair of philosophy at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. He is a past president of the Northeast Popular Culture Association.

Tim Delaney and Tim Madigan
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 490
Bibliographic Info: 16 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8237-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4409-7
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
1. The Sociology of Sport 5
2. Social Theory and Sport 30
3. A Brief History of Sport 58
4. The Impact of Sport on Culture 83
5. Socialization and Sport 110
6. Youth Sports 133
7. High School and College Sports 161
8. Deviance in Sport 191
9. Violence in Sport 220
10. Gender and Sport 251
11. Race and Ethnicity in Sport 282
12. Economics and Sport 314
13. Politics and Sport 343
14. Religion and Sport 377
15. The Media and Sport 404
16. Sportsmanship and Why We Love Sports 428
Bibliography 447
Index 479

“The authors are well-informed and reasonable, and they write clearly. If this text is not the best on the market, it is at least a contender for the number-one spot. Recommended”—Choice