Social Issues in Sport

Sport is all around us. Yet few of us look critically at how it affects our lives—and even fewer look at how we as a society affect sport. Social Issues in Sport is an outstanding introduction to the multifaceted roles of sport and physical activity in society and the perfect tool for examining sport from a critical perspective. The text's engaging writing style, full-color format, and sound learning tools make it accessible and effective at getting students involved in and excited about the material. A full array of instructor resources make this book a highly functional and enjoyable way for instructors to introduce this subject to their students.

While the book is solidly grounded in research, it does not dwell on theory. Social Issues in Sport is written to whet the appetite of students in sport management and sport studies for a deeper look at the issues, contradictions, and confusion that characterize our love–hate affair with sport. In Social Issues in Sport, students will find heavy emphasis on areas that other texts often overlook—including the role of coaches, importance of lifetime sport and fitness, sport in education, and sport for special populations such as the physically and mentally challenged and the elderly. As a result, students gain a complete view of what constitutes sport and physical activity and a firm grasp of the sociocultural considerations vital to their understanding of sport. Students are encouraged to see the sport world not only with their eyes wide open to the problems but also with an optimistic, encouraging view of its future.

Author Ronald Woods draws on a lifetime in sport as a participant, observer, fan, teacher, coach, administrator, and critic. His wide-lens view of sport helps students make sense of the world of sport and physical activity and, more important, apply it to their own personal and professional lives. Woods' easy-to-comprehend distinction between sport for recreational participation, high performance, and spectating illuminates for students the profound differences in how sport can be viewed and challenges their thinking about their own roles as participants and spectators. Woods' diverse background in sports gives him a unique perspective and allows him to write with a style and clarity that students will appreciate.

This full-color book is organized into four parts that reflect the presence of sports around us. Part I sets the stage for studying sport in society. Part II examines the scope and effect of sport on society. Part III explores sport as an institution and how it functions within other institutions such as schools, colleges, and the Olympic movement. Part IV focuses on the interaction between our society's culture and sports.

In 19 chapters, the book enthusiastically invites students to explore many issues, such as how a participant, spectator, coach, and administrator may have differing views of sports; how to distinguish between different levels of play, games, and sport when assessing the role of sport; and what trends to expect in the future and how to be part of a positive development of sporting structures.

Social Issues in Sports contains the following features that encourage learning:

-An engaging writing style, rich with examples and pedagogical aids, gets students excited about and invested in the sporting world around them.

-Interesting sidebars include up-close profiles of significant people and organizations (In the Arena With), examples of how sport is viewed in the public (Pop Culture), and insights from those who study the subject extensively (Expert's View).

-Activity Time-Outs, nicely integrated with the text, invite readers to recognize and assess the sociocultural issues that sport raises and apply the book's concepts to their own lives.

-An instructor guide, test package, and presentation package provide instructors with tools and assignment ideas to ensure that students remain engaged.
Social Issues in Sport is an engaging, in-depth, and inspiring resource that will help students understand the value of sport and its limitations and equip them to make choices about the role sports will play in their lives.