Sport, Power, and Society

This comprehensive collection examines the culture of sport and its relationship with various social institutions. The editors first provide a broad overview of the field and describe the ways in which the concept of sport as a meritocratic contest is undermined by the powerful social structures within which it is embedded. Sections focus on political economy, violence, the media, education, politics, fans and community, and the body. Primary readings from noted scholars in each section address current issues such as the presence of big-time sports in educational institutions; the effects of corporate media; race and class relations; professional athletes' ties to politics; and how sports alter perceptions and practices regarding beauty and health. In addition, entertaining and provocative essays from journalists supplement academic readings and spotlight key issues. Section introductions from the editors connect the readings to a theoretical framework that explores the perspectives of new institutionalism, cultural hegemony, social capital, and symbolic interaction and cultural construction. Providing a cohesive foundation for a wide range of readings, Sport, Power, and Society is a must-have resource for understanding the current issues and debates surrounding the interactions of sport and society.

Robert E Washington

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A NOTE TO THE READER INTRODUCTION: SPORT AS A MODEL OF MERITOCRACY PART I * Raiding the Public Treasury: The Political Economy of Professional Sports 1. PUBLIC DOLLARS, PRIVATE STADIUMS, AND DEMOCRACY, Kevin J. Delaney and Rick Eckstein 2. MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN: MAKING BASEBALL COMPETITIVE, Andrew Zimbalist 3. ROOTING THE HOME TEAM: WHY THE PACKERS WON'T LEAVE--AND WHY THE BROWNS DID, David Morris and Daniel Kraker 4. AMERICA'S FASTEST GROWING SPORT, Brian O'Keefe and Julie Schlosser 5. BUILDING A MINI METROPOLIS KNOWN AS THE U.S. OPEN, Bill Pennington PART I I * The Faustian Bargain: Big-Time Sports and the Media 6. MONEY, MYTH AND THE BIG MATCH: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE SPORTS MEDIA, David Rowe 7. LOSING CONTROL OF THE BALL: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF FOOTBALL AND THE MEDIA IN AUSTRALIA, Murray Phillips and Brett Hutchins 8. THE GLOBAL SPORT MASS MEDIA OLIGOPOLY: THE THREE USUAL SUSPECTS AND MORE, Alan Law, Jean Harvey, and Stuart Kemp 9. FOOTBALL, TELEVISION, AND THE SUPREME COURT: HOW A DECISION 20 YEARS AGO BROUGHT COMMERCIALIZATION TO THE WORLD OF COLLEGE SPORTS, Welch Suggs 10. MARKETERS ARE JOINING THE VARSITY, Stuart Elliott PART I I I * True Love, or a Marriage of Convenience? Sports and Education 11. WHO'S PLAYING COLLEGE SPORTS? TRENDS IN PARTICIPATION, John Cheslock 12. THE GAME OF LIFE: TAKING STOCK, James L. Shulman and William G. Bowen 13. RACE, CULTURAL CAPITAL, AND THE EDUCATIONAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS, Tamela McNulty Eitle and David Eitle 14. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: DEEP IN THE HEART OF SOUTH TEJAS, Douglas Foley 15. ODD JOBS HELP COLLEGE TEAMS STAY AFLOAT, Teddy Kider PART IV * The Power of Athletics: Sports and Politics 16. WHERE ARE THE JOCKS FOR JUSTICE? Kelly Candaele and Peter Dreier 17. SPORT, MASCULINITY, AND BLACK CULTURAL RESISTANCE, Ben Carrington 18. TELEVISED SPORT, MASCULINIST MORAL CAPITAL, AND SUPPORT FOR THE INVASION OF IRAQ, Carl Stempel 19. GAY GAMES OR GAY OLYMPICS? IMPLICATIONS FOR LESBIAN INCLUSIO