`It is not only about sport, but the contexts [and] cultures that encircle it. The authors[...] review every known theory, topic and problem relevant to the scholarly analysis of sport.... a champion without challengers′ - Ellis Cashmore, Staffordshire University, and author of Making Sense of Sports

PART ONE: MAJOR PERSPECTIVES IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT PART ONE: MAJOR PERSPECTIVES IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT Editors′ Introduction Functionalism, Sport and Society - John W Loy and Douglas Booth Marxist Theories - Bero Rigauer Cultural Studies and the Sociology of Sport - Jenny Hargreaves and Ian McDonald Feminist Theories for Sport - Susan Birrell Interpretive Approaches to the Sociology of Sport - Peter Donnelly Figurational Sociology and Its Application to Sport - Patrick Murphy, Ken Sheard and Ivan Waddington Posting Up - David L Andrews French Post-Structuralism and the Critical Analysis of Contemporary Sporting Culture PART TWO: CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DIFFERENCES AND CONNECTIONS Editors′ Introduction The Anthropology of Sport - Kendall Blanchard Economics and Sport - Marc Lavoie Human Geography and the Study of Sports - John Bale Social History and Sport - Nancy L Struna The Philosophy of Sport - William J Morgan A Historical and Conceptual Overview and a Conjecture Regarding Its Future Politics and Sport - Barrie Houlihan Psychology and the Study of Sport - Diane L Gill PART THREE: KEY TOPICS Editors′ Introduction The Development of Modern Sports - Allen Guttmann Political Economy and Sport - George Sage Education and Sport - C Roger Rees and Andrew W Miracle Sport and the Media - Garry Whannel Theorizing Sport, Social Class and Status - John Sugden and Alan Tomlinson Gender and Sport - Nancy Theberge Sport, Racism and Ethnicity - Grant Jarvie Sport and Nationalism - Lincoln Allison Sport and Globalization - Joseph Maguire Social Control and Sport - D Stanley Eitzen Sport and Violence - Kevin Young Sport and Health - Ivan Waddington A Sociological Perspective Sport and Disability - Howard L Nixon II Body Studies in the Sociology of Sport - Cheryl L Cole Doping in Sport as Deviant Behavior and Its Social Control - G[um]unther L[um]uschen Sport and Emotions - Mary Duquin Management, Organizations and Theory in the Governance of Sport - Ian Henry and Eleni Theodoraki Arriving Sport - Robert Rinehart Alternatives to Formal Sports PART FOUR: SPORT AND SOCIETY RESEARCH AROUND THE GLOBE Editors′ Introduction Africa - Denver J Hendricks Australia and New Zealand - Chris Collins Eastern Europe - Gy[um]ongyi S Foldesi France - Jacques deFrance Germany - Klaus Heinemann India - I A McDonald Japan - Koichi Kiku Korea (and Southeast Asia) - Burn-Jang Lim Latin America - Joseph L Arbena Nordic Countries - Kari Fasting and Mari Kristin Sisjord Portugal - Salom[ac]e Marivoet and Claudia Pinheiro Spain - N[ac]uria Puig

`This is a book that lacks nothing. It is not only about sport, but the contexts, in which it surfaces, the cultures that encircle it, the forces that unify it and those that tear it apart. Its exemplary organisation provides a framework in which Coakley and Dunning are able to review every known theory, topic and problem - from poststructuralism through gender to violence - relevant to the scholarly analysis of sport. A strong international section collects research findings from around the world. The scope of the Handbook is immense and its detail lavish; yet, its text is economical - almost 700 pages and not a wasted sentence. In short, a champion without challengers′ - Ellis Cashmore Professor of Culture, Media and Sport, Staffordshire University, and author of Making Sense of Sports `This handbook contains useful reviews of major theoretical frameworks and research topics in sports studies - especially sport sociology - written by a star-studded array of internationally recognized experts. The scope and depth of this volume demonstrates the intellectual maturity of this area. Each chapter provides an informative historical context and an organized conceptual framework for making sense of the relevant scholarly literature. The book will be particularly useful to graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and college and university faculty who are seeking to gain rapid, informed access to the literature′ - Janet C Harris, California State University