Sport and nationalism are arguably two of the most emotional issues in the modern world. Both inspire intense devotion and frequently lead to violence. In this book, Alan Bairner discusses the relationship between sport and national identities in Europe and North America--specifically Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, the United States, and Canada--within the context of a broader theoretical debate about the impact of globalization in the modern era. Through a unique comparative perspective, the author sheds new light on the ways sport impacts the construction and reproduction of national...

Sport is frequently considered to be an aspect of popular culture that is, or should be, untainted by the political. However, there is a broad consensus among academics that sport is often at the heart of the political and the political is often central to sport. From the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany to the civil unrest that preceded the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, sport and politics have remained symbiotic bedfellows.

The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics goes further than any other book in surveying the complex, embedded relationships between sport and...