Sport

The past decade has seen a tremendous growth in the popularity of activities like skateboarding and snowboarding; sports that have been labelled as 'extreme' or 'lifestyle' and which embody 'alternative' sporting values such as anti-competitiveness, anti-regulation, high risk and personal freedom. The popularity of these activities goes beyond the teenage male youth that the media typify as their main consumers. This book examines the popularity, significance and meaning of lifestyle sport, exploring the sociological significance of these activities, particularly as related to their...

This textbook puts sport in the spotlight of cultural inquiry for the first time. The authors provide the essential resources for the study of sport within culture and popular culture. Sport is an important part of cultural life, yet until recently it has tended to remain on the margins of academic cultural studies.

Beginning by considering sport in relation to the pre-cultural studies tradition of cultural commentary, The Uses of Sport then moves on to a critical engagement with a number of themes relevant to contemporary cultural studies including: community and social...

This textbook puts sport in the spotlight of cultural inquiry for the first time. The authors provide the essential resources for the study of sport within culture and popular culture. Sport is an important part of cultural life, yet until recently it has tended to remain on the margins of academic cultural studies.

Beginning by considering sport in relation to the pre-cultural studies tradition of cultural commentary, The Uses of Sport then moves on to a critical engagement with a number of themes relevant to contemporary cultural studies including: community and social capital,...

The highly contested nature of both 'gender' and 'leisure' encapsulates many of the most critical social and cultural debates of the early twenty-first century. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical perspectives, as well as extensive empirical research, Gender and Leisure goes forward to offer a contemporary socio-cultural analysis of gender relations in leisure practice and leisure policy.

The book begins by introducing and evaluating the key social and cultural ideologies, philosophies and beliefs that have informed our theoretical understanding of gender and leisure. The particular...

Can we truly call football England's 'national' game?
How have we arrived at this point of such clear inequality between men's and women's football?

Between 1921 and 1972, women were banned from playing in football League grounds in the UK. Yet in 1998 FIFA declared that "the future is feminine" and that football was the fastest growing sport for women globally.

The result of several years of original research, the book traces the continuities in women's participation since the beginnings of the game, and highlights the significant moments that have influenced...

Can we truly call football England's 'national' game?
How have we arrived at this point of such clear inequality between men's and women's football?

Between 1921 and 1972, women were banned from playing in football League grounds in the UK. Yet in 1998 FIFA declared that "the future is feminine" and that football was the fastest growing sport for women globally.

The result of several years of original research, the book traces the continuities in women's participation since the beginnings of the game, and highlights the significant moments that have influenced...

The public sector is the largest provider of sport and leisure facilities and the biggest employer of leisure management graduates the last decade has seen enormous changes in this sector.

In this significant new student textbook the first to investigate leisure management in a public sector context Leigh Robinson examines the unique issues facing public sector managers and analyzes the application of contemporary management strategies and techniques to public sector leisure. It provides thorough coverage of the work and skills required in addition to the challenges and issues...

The public sector is the largest provider of sport and leisure facilities and the biggest employer of leisure management graduates - the last decade has seen enormous changes in this sector.

In this significant new student textbook - the first to investigate leisure management in a public sector context - Leigh Robinson examines the unique issues facing public sector managers and analyzes the application of contemporary management strategies and techniques to public sector leisure. It provides thorough coverage of the work and skills required in addition to the challenges and issues...

The football World Cup is unquestionably the biggest sporting event in the world. This fascinating collection of papers examines the background to the 2002 World Cup Finals, held in Korea and Japan, and explores the event's profound social, cultural, political and economic significance.

The book offers important insight into topics such as:

* the development of professional football in Korea and Japan
* the political and diplomatic significance of the first co-hosted World Cup
* FIFA and the 'back stage' dealing behind the World Cup
* football as a global culture...

The football World Cup is unquestionably the biggest sporting event in the world. This fascinating collection of papers examines the background to the 2002 World Cup Finals, held in Korea and Japan, and explores the event's profound social, cultural, political and economic significance.

The book offers important insight into topics such as:

* the development of professional football in Korea and Japan
* the political and diplomatic significance of the first co-hosted World Cup
* FIFA and the 'back stage' dealing behind the World Cup
* football as a global culture...