In its second edition, this book takes a fresh approach to the study of sports, presenting key concepts such as socialization, economics, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, politics, the media and the role of sports in society. The authors offer a critical examination but highlight also the many positive aspects of sports. Each chapter concludes with a popular culture section, showing how films, television, video games, music and short stories have contributed to our understanding of sports’ significance to our lives.

Other features include up-to-date information—such as statistics on player and owner salaries—and a look at recent controversies in sports, such as performance-enhancing drugs, domestic violence, online gambling and the growing concern over concussions and post-career health problems. The value of sports for people with physical disabilities and special needs is discussed, as well as the development of sports studies programs and the continuing importance of “sportsmanship.” The final chapter explores how social media, as well as new forms of virtual reality and the prevalence of video gaming, are reshaping the concept of what constitutes a sport. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Tim Delaney is a professor and department chair of sociology at the State University of New York at Oswego. He sponsors an annual sportsmanship day symposium and recently co-created a sports studies program. He lives in Auburn, New York.

Tim Madigan is a professor and department chair of philosophy at St. John Fisher College. The former editorial director of the University of Rochester Press, he is on the editorial board of Philosophy Now magazine and lives in Rochester, New York.

Tim Delaney and Tim Madigan

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 468
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9767-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2191-3
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1
1. The Sociology of Sport  3
2. Social Theory and Sport  26
3. A Brief History of Sport  50
4. The Impact of Sport on Culture  72
5. Socialization and Sport  95
6. Youth Sports  117
7. High School and College Sports  144
8. Deviance in Sport  174
9. Violence in Sport  203
10. Gender and Sport  232
11. Race and Ethnicity in Sport  259
12. Economics and Sport  289
13. Politics and Sport  316
14. Religion and Sport  346
15. The Media in Sport  371
16. What’s Trending in Sports  393
Glossary  419
Bibliography  429
Index  457

“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