This book provides new insights into the evolution of the global sporting spectacle over the last thirty years through an analysis of star athletes, emblematic organisations and key locations in French sport, highlighting how sport has influenced (and been implicated in) debates over nationhood, immigration, commemorative practice, and de-industrialisation.

The Making of Les Bleus traces the Fifth Republic’s quest to create elite athletes in two global team sports, football and basketball, primarily at the youth level. While the objective of this mission was to improve performances at international competitions, such programs were quickly seized upon to help ease domestic issues and tensions. The onset of the Cold War forced countries of all sizes to rethink their relevancy. A country’s ability to exert “soft power,” or influence others through the cultural sphere, became more important. Sport was but one way through which to do so. The extent to which France harnessed the athletic domain was unprecedented among other West European nations. In France, sport, particularly at the youth level, was used to cultivate soft power internationally, to transmit republican ideals of democracy and fair play to the youth, and to examine and create a modern, post-colonial French identity in a globalizing world. The French sought to find a “third way” in sports, much in the way that it sought to create an alternative between the diplomatic policies of Washington and Moscow. Fifth Republic sports systems placed the training of elite athletes under the state. At the same time, private clubs also played an important role in developing players to serve the republic in elite competition. Examination of the republic’s quest to create elite athletes provides perspective on how France coped with and adapted to the post-1945 world. In what ways did the country reconfigure its global role? How did domestic changes impact society? In a globalizing, post-colonial world, how has France come to terms with the past? In what ways has France sought to create a new “French” identity? This story helps answer such questions. The history of the state’s cooption of youth sports forms a compelling tale and serves as a prism through which to investigate the larger history of France, the evolution of society, the impacts of the media revolution, and the government’s mission of public health. It underscores just how much things have changed—yet still remained the same. You can find a podcast interview with the author about this book at: http://newbooksinsports.com/2013/11/14/lindsay-krasnoff-the-making-of-les-bleus-sport-in-france-1958-2010-lexington-books-2012/

Are sports influenced by their social context? Can sport influence the social world? And how is sport changing in our increasingly globalized society? This thought-provoking text explores these questions and introduces key debates in the sociology of sport. Uncovering the power dynamics within sport and bringing this everyday topic under a sociological lens, the book: - Explores hot topics and contemporary controversies, such as e-gaming, fan violence and sex testing - Examines the central role of technology and the media in how sport is consumed, represented and played - Discusses a wide range of thinkers, from Gramsci to Castells - Reflects on developments in sport at local, global and national levels With clearly explained theory and vibrant case examples, this text shows how we engage with sport in social, political, cultural and economic terms. It is an indispensable text for students across the social sciences studying sports.

This book examines the construction of national, regional, and group identities in the football journalism of five European countries: England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Notions of the respective national stereotypes are explored in each of the countries studied.

′This third edition of Sport and Society, with contributions from some of the field’s most highly respected scholars, covers the myriad of complex, pervasive and global issues confronting sport in the 21st century. It continues to be a foundation text for students across most sport disciplines′ - Russel Hoye, La Trobe University, Australia ‘The third edition of Sport and Society reinforces its place as one of the most valuable texts for students and others engaging in social scientific study of sport. Overall, the book continues to achieve an unrivalled balance between different social science disciplines that have been applied to sport; between local, national and international issues; and between broad overviews and specific detail on every topic. The end result is a book that is "a must" on many academic reading lists!′ - Iain Lindsey, Durham University, UK Fully updated and revised, the Third Edition of Barrie Houlihan and Dominic Malcolm′s ground-breaking Sport and Society provides students and instructors with a one-stop text that is comprehensive, accessible, international, and engaging. This popular book: Approaches the study of sport from a multi-disciplinary perspective Presents the importance of social structure, power, and inequality in analysing the nature and significance of sport in society Addresses the rapid commercialization and regulation of sport Engages in comparative analysis to understand problems clearly and produce sound solutions Expands students′ knowledge through chapter summaries, guides to further reading, and extensive bibliographies Offers five new chapters addressing the key contemporary issues of: lifestyle sport; sport for development and peace; the governance of international sport organisations; sports fandom; and sport in East Asia. A superb teaching text, this new edition will be relished by instructors seeking an authoritative introduction to sport and society and students who want a relevant, enriching text for their learning and research needs.

Social exclusion is one of the most pressing challenges in post-industrial societies, encompassing economic, social, cultural and political dimensions. This important new book critically examines the relationship between sport and social exclusion, from global and cross-cultural perspectives. The book analyses sport and social exclusion by focusing on three key questions: How does social exclusion affect participation in sport? How is social exclusion (re)produced, experienced, resisted, and managed in sport? How is sport used to combat social exclusion and promote social inclusion in other life domains? To answer these questions, the authors discuss and critically reflect on existing knowledge and in-depth case studies from Europe, Australasia, Africa and Latin America. The book illuminates the relationship between sport and social exclusion in Global North and Global South contexts, addressing key issues in contemporary social science such as social inequality, worklessness, gender, disability, forced migration, homelessness and mental health. Sport and Social Exclusion in Global Society is important reading for all students, researchers and policy-makers with an interest in sport sociology, sport development, sport management, or the relationship between sport and wider society.

Sport studies and sports history have witnessed a recent substantial increase in publications. However, the relationship between literature and sport has been little explored. Sport, Literature, Society looks at a wide variety of case studies ranging from Japan to England, from India to Australia and covers sports as diverse as cycling, football, wrestling and boxing. It concentrates on historical perspectives. The contributors are all academics of international reputation and include historians of sport and literary scholars. Literature may shape our perceptions and reactions to sport as much as sport may inform our reading. As mimetic practice, as aesthetic object, as imaginative release, sport is analogous to literature and the other arts; at the same time, it can become the subject of literary, visual or musical elaborations. Literature often conceptualises the place and role of sport in culture and society. Indeed, sport inhabits literature in ways that have not been adequately studied. Sport studies have investigated the relationships between sport and society, education, gender, nation, and class. To look again at these relationships through the prism of literature enables us to change our focus and to assess the centrality of sport in culture. This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.