Now available in paperback, this vital handbook marks the development of sports studies as a major new discipline within the social sciences. Edited by the leading sociologist of sport, Eric Dunning, and Jay Coakley, author of the best selling textbook on sport in the USA, it both reflects and richly endorses this new found status. Key aspects of the Handbook include: an inventory of the principal achievements in the field; a guide to the chief conflicts and difficulties in the theory and research process; a rallying point for researchers who are established or new to the field, which sets the agenda for future developments; a resource book for teachers who wish to establish new curricula and develop courses and programmes in the area of sports studies. With an international and inter-disciplinary team of contributors the Handbook of Sports Studies is comprehensive in scope, relevant in content and far-reaching in its discussion of future prospect.

This volume aims to forge interest in the field of sports studies and offers a platform for a wide range of studies on sports, employing a variety of approaches, perspectives, and methodologies.

Reaching as far back as ancient times, Ronojoy Sen pairs a novel history of India's engagement with sport and a probing analysis of its cultural and political development under monarchy and colonialism, and as an independent nation. Some sports that originated in India have fallen out of favor, while others, such as cricket, have been adopted and made wholly India's own. Sen's innovative project casts sport less as a natural expression of human competition than as an instructive practice reflecting a unique play with power, morality, aesthetics, identity, and money. Sen follows the transformation of sport from an elite, kingly pastime to a national obsession tied to colonialism, nationalism, and free market liberalization. He pays special attention to two modern phenomena: the dominance of cricket in the Indian consciousness and the chronic failure of a billion-strong nation to compete successfully in international sporting competitions, such as the Olympics. Innovatively incorporating examples from popular media and other unconventional sources, Sen not only captures the political nature of sport in India but also reveals the patterns of patronage, clientage, and institutionalization that have bound this diverse nation together for centuries.

When originally published in 1991 this was the first book to tackle the UK policy process of sport and to provide a political science analysis of some of the key issues facing sports administrators today. The volume identifies the parties involved: central government, local government, the Sports Council, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, and the individual sports governing bodies. It examines their effect on sport’s policy and administration through an analysis of three important current sport issues – football hooliganism, drug abuse among athletes and sport opportunities and facilities for school children.

′...a welcome addition to the literature in the rapidly expanding field of sports studies. It is up to date, comprehensive, and well and clearly written. Though primarily sociological in its orientation, it will help students -postgraduate and undergraduate alike and their teachers as well - to establish connections between the various sub-disciplines and guide them to sources which will enable them to probe issues more deeply... It is a beautifully crafted book and is sure to be a hit with students and their teachers. It would not surprise me in the least, however, if it appealed to sports lovers more generally... It is a tour de force and I recommend it unreservedly′ - Eric Dunning, Professor in Sociology, The Centre for the Sociology of Sport, University of Leicester Sports studies is one of the fastest growing fields in higher education today. The SAGE Dictionary of Sports Studies brings a timely, much-needed and comprehensive tool for all students in this multi-disciplinary field. Each entry provides a basic definition, a guide to research themes and a clear account of the relevance of the concept in understanding sport. Not only indispensable for quick clarification of terms, it will give students a springboard for more in-depth research and critical analysis. It offers: " Cross referencing to assist critical thinking " A list of key readings for each entry " Expert definitions drawn from sociology, history, psychology, economics, management and business, politics and policy, physical education and health, and research methods. " Concise, student-friendly and authoritative entries. Covering sociology, history, psychology, politics, business, physical education, health and research methods, The SAGE Dictionary of Sports Studies provides the first one-stop reference guide for all students who study the social aspects of sport.

A great depression, worsening Anglo-Australian relations, the declining British Empire and the challenge from an Australia striving to find a national identity are the context which explain bodyline and its repercussions. Bodyline was a watershed in the history of cricket and politics were publicly seen as part of sport. This book offers a radical reappraisal of bodyline which challenges the official interpretations of the events, and places them in a unique social and political context. .