Sociology of Sport Research Group
Sociological enquiry into the socio-cultural context of sports participation at all levels rose to prominence in the latter part of the last century. It has now become an accepted and respected aspect of both the social and sports sciences. The sociology of sport, while grounded in the parent discipline, has always been much more of a social science of sport.
In addition to sociology, work in the field encompasses history, political science, human geography, anthropology, social psychology and economics. Also, the new off-shoots of sociology such as cultural studies, media studies, and gender studies are well represented. Through their wide-ranging and highly respected research and writing and their involvement in international events and organisations, the members of the Loughborough University Sociology of Sport Group have made a significant contribution to their area of scholarship.
The Sociology of Sport Group are listed amongst the 13 Centres of Specialism on the British Sociological Association's website, and the only centre explicitly cited for its specialism in sport.
Group membership
- Professor Richard Giulianotti (Group Leader)
- Professor Alan Bairner
- Dr David Howe
- Professor Joseph Maguire
- Dr Dominic Malcolm
Research themes
The group's research is focused on two major themes: sport and globalisation (national identities, migration, media and political economy); and sport, the body and society (disability, emotions, injury, pain and violence).
1. Sport and Globalisation (Bairner, Maguire, Malcolm)
Research Questions
- What are the main manifestations of globalization in the world of sport?
- How can we account for the successful diffusion of sports to some societies and not others?
- What is the relationship between sport and the formation of national, regional and civic identities?
- What roles can sport play in divided societies?
- What are the main patterns of sports labour migration and what is the impact of becoming a sports migrant on identity?
Selected publications
- Bairner, A. (2001) Sport, Nationalism, and Globalization: European and North American Perspectives. New York, SUNY Press.
- Bairner A. (ed.) (2005) Sport and the Irish. Histories, Identities, Issues. Dublin: University College Dublin Press.
- Maguire, J. (1999) Global Sport: Identities, Societies, Civilizations. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Maguire, J. (2005) Power and Global Sport: Zones of Prestige, Emulation and Resistance. London: Routledge.
- Maguire, J. and Nakayama, M. (eds) (2005) Japan, Sport and Society. London: Routledge.
- Malcolm, D. (2006) 'The Diffusion of Cricket to America: A Figurational Sociological Examination', Journal of Historical Sociology, 19(2), 151-173
- Stead, D.E. and Maguire, J.A., (2000) '"Rite de Passage" or Passage to Riches?' Journal of Sport and Social Issues 24(1), 36-60.
2. Sport, the Body and Society (Howe, Maguire, Malcolm)
Research questions
- What is the relationship between masculinity and diet/nutrition practices in endurance sports cultures?
- In what ways are forms of sports violence and aggression both exciting and significant for athletes and spectators?
- How do recreational and elite athletes understand pain and injury experiences?
- How can we best understand the relationships between sports medicine practitioners and their athlete-patients?
- What are the consequences of the commercialization of the Paralympics for disabled athletes?
Selected publications
- Howe, P. D. (2004) Sport, Professionalism and Pain: Ethnographies of Injury and Risk. London: Routledge.
- Howe, P.D. and Jones, C., (2006) 'Classification of Disabled Athletes: (Dis)empowering the Paralympic Practice Community', Sociology of Sport Journal, 23(1), 29-46.
- Pike, L. and Maguire, J.A., (2003) 'Injury in Women's Sport: Classifying Key Elements of "Risk Encounters"', Sociology of Sport Journal, 20(3) 232-251
- Malcolm, D. 'Unprofessional Practice? The Power and Status of Sports Physicians', Sociology of Sport Journal, 23(4) 2006, 376-395.
A full list of publications is available from the University publication database, accessible through individuals' web pages.
In addition to this group members have written / edited a number of important textbooks in the area:
- Malcolm, D. (2007) The Sage Dictionary of Sport Studies. London: Sage.
- Dunning, E. and Malcolm, D. (2003) Sport: Critical Concepts in Sociology Volumes I-IV. London: Routledge.
- Maguire, J., Jarvie, G. Mansfield, L. and Bradley, J. (2002) Sport Worlds :a Sociological Perspective. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
Recently completed doctoral theses
- John Kelly, The Flowers of Scotland: A Sociological Examination of the Relationship Between Association Football, Rugby Union and National Identity in Post-devolution Scotland (2007)
- Richard Elliot, Crossing Blue Lines and Baselines: Examining the Migrations of North American Workers in British Professional Basketball and Ice Hockey (2006)
- Gyözö Molnár, Fighting Global Uncertainties: A Case Study of the Post-Communist Migrations of Hungarian Professional Footballers (2006)
- Katie Butler, Olympism: Myth and Reality. British Media Portrayals of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics (2005)
- Louise Mansfield, Gender, Power and Identities in the Fitness Gym: Towards a Sociology of the 'Exercise Body Beautiful Complex' (2005)
- Hannah Charlesworth, Sports-related Injury Risk and Pain: The Experiences of English Female University Athletes (2004)
Awards and recognition
Professor Maguire is Past-President of the International Sociology of Sport Association; Visiting Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto; External Advisor (Sport Science) Association of Commonwealth Universities Scholarship scheme; Executive Board Member of the International Council for Sport Science and Physical Education and serves on the editorial boards of the International Review for the Sociology of Sport; Sportswissenschaft and the European Physical Education Review. He has attracted research funds from ESRC (£45,000) and the British Council.
Professor Bairner has been Visiting Professor at the Renvall Institute, Helsinki University (2003-present), the Donald MacIntosh Visiting Scholar, Queen's University, Ontario (2006), and a member of the Scientific Committee, 8th ISPHES conference, 'Sport, Nation, Nationalism', Ljubljana, Slovenia (2006). He is a member of the editorial boards of International Review for the Sociology of Sport; Sociology of Sport Journal, Soccer and Society, and Football Studies.
Dr Dominic Malcolm is the Convenor of the British Sociological Association study group on sport. He was co-editor of Soccer and Society (2000-2005), and co-edited a special issue of the journal Sport and Society (2006) on the life and work of Eric Dunning. In 2007 he (with Alan Bairner) was awarded a British Academy research grant to study the media representation of national identities at the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
Dr David Howe is Senior Lecturer in the Anthropology of Sport in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University where he directs the ‘Sport Culture and Policy’ research in the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. He is currently the vice president of the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA). David holds visiting professorships at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium and University of Coimbra, Portugal. Trained as a medical anthropologist, he is author of Sport, Professionalism and Pain: Ethnographies of Injury and Risk (Routledge, 2004) and The Cultural Politics of the Paralympic Movement: Through the Anthropological Lens ( Routledge, 2008).