White Sports/Black Sports
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The racial makeup of sports in the United States serves as a classic example of racism in the 21st century. This book examines the racial disparities in sports and the continuing significance of race in 21st-century America, debunking the myth of a "postracial society." * Examines how race and sports are powerful social constructions * Presents examples of how sports can serve as both a liberating and an oppressive force * Explains how sports influence and are influenced by society and the ways in which institutional barriers and personal practices perpetuate racism in sports and in the society at large * Documents how historic racial stereotypes, such as the "brute" and "sapphire" caricatures, are alive and well in the world of sports
Gender, Sport and Ethics
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After the young South African athlete Caster Semenya won the 800m title at the 2009 World Championships she was obliged to undergo gender testing and was temporarily withdrawn from international competition. The way that this controversy unfolded represents a rich and multi-layered example of the construction of gender in wider society and the interrelationships between sport, culture and the media. This is the first book to explore the case in depth, from socio-cultural, ethical and legal perspectives. Analysing what came to be called "the Caster Semenya Case" in a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary fashion, and covering issues from media discourses and the rhetoric and regulations of the sport's governing bodies to the reaction of the athlete herself, the book explores the ethics of how gender norms in sport, and in society more generally, are constructed through appearance, behaviour and sporting performance. This 2009 controversy can be taken as an indicator of the tensions of the time, and served as a link between medical sciences, society and gender. Including discussions of key concepts such as 'intersex', 'body norms', and 'fairness', Gender Testing in Sport is fascinating and important reading for anybody with an interest in sport studies, gender studies or biomedical ethics.
The Fantasy Sport Industry
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Fantasy sport has become big business. Recent estimates suggest that there as many as 33 million fantasy sport participants in the US alone, spending $3bn annually, with many millions more around the world. This is the first in-depth study of fantasy sport as a cultural and social phenomenon and a significant and growing component of the contemporary sports economy. This book presents an overview of the history of fantasy sport and its close connection to innovations in sports media. Drawing on extensive empirical research, it offers an analysis of the demographics of fantasy sport, the motivations of fantasy sport players and their significance as heavy consumers of sport media and as ultra-fans. It also draws cross-cultural comparisons between fantasy sport players in the US, UK, Europe and beyond. The Fantasy Sport Industry examines the key commercial and media stakeholders in the production and development of fantasy sport, and points to new directions for the fantasy sport industry within modern sport business. It is therefore, fascinating reading for any student, scholar or professional with an interest in sports media, sports business, fandom, the relationship between sport and society, or cultural studies.
Sex Segregation in Sports
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Why isn't segregation based on sex illegal in sports just as race segregation is? This book examines the controversial issue, arguing that "separate but equal" is neither achievable nor constitutional. * Features both current and historical events to support the argument for sex integration in sports * Examines how sex and race are social constructions and considers their connected plights * Presents both legal and social arguments for the elimination of sports-related sex segregation * Challenges legal, biological, and social arguments against sex integration * Analyzes the legal nuances of Title IXlegislation and Brown vs. Board of Educationand compares the two cases
Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World
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The second edition of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World updates Donald G. Kyle s award-winning introduction to this topic, covering the Ancient Near East up to the late Roman Empire. Challenges traditional scholarship on sport and spectacle in the Ancient World and debunks claims that there were no sports before the ancient Greeks Explores the cultural exchange of Greek sport and Roman spectacle and how each culture responded to the other s entertainment Features a new chapter on sport and spectacle during the Late Roman Empire, including Christian opposition to pagan games and the Roman response Covers topics including violence, professionalism in sport, class, gender and eroticism, and the relationship of spectacle to political structures
Sport, Media and Regional Identity
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The increasing potency of identity politics across Europe often sees sport acting as a vehicle for the promotion and celebration of regional and sub-national identities. However, while the relationship between sport, the media and national identity has featured in numerous academic and political debates in recent years, the links between sports media and regional identity have received little attention. This seems a curious oversight, because the links between sport and region frequently become a celebration of the local and the distinctive, emblematic of community and continuity. This volume will explore that sense of the counter-hegemonic, where sport is celebrated by a media often keen to promote notions of difference, which might verge on rebellion in some contexts, conceived as resisting global homogeneity or national hegemony. At other times, they may merely reflect a commercial nose for the local audience's tastes, but there is always the sense of preserving something important, a celebration of the diversity that makes us human. This book considers the centrality and cultural significance of particular sports, or clubs, to regional and sub-national identities across Europe and beyond, adopting a comparative approach to the mediatized nature of such portrayals.
How We Can Save Sports
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Many sports fans are conflicted they may love the games, the players, and their communities, but may be alarmed by issues including academic corruption, athlete health, and the overarching emphasis on winning and profit at all costs. From disturbing new research about the long-term impact of sports concussions to publicly financed stadiums that drive profits to team owners but not communities, author Ken Reed argues that much of our sports culture is broken, driven by ego and greed. How We Can Save Sports is written to inform and empower sports stakeholders who care deeply about the impact of sports today on individuals and society as a whole. Reed, sports policy director for the League of Fans, introduces readers to ten of the most pressing problems in sports today and shows how they largely derive from the mentalities of profit-at-all-costs and win-at-all-costs. Chapters dig into issues such as concussions, overzealous adults in youth sports, the disappearance of PE from many school curriculums, the focus on profit objectives in college sports, discrimination in sports, and more. Each chapter outlines key challenges and provides concrete steps that readers can take to work for change. The book includes lists of helpful resources for readers interested in change at various levels from youth and high school sports, to AAU and college athletics, to professional sports."
