Abstract

The writing of this book is guided by three goals: In the analysis of the sport structure in societies, the first goal is to have the reader better understand sport and also to incorporate implicitly the sociological perspective in his or her repertoire for understanding other parts of the social world. The second goal is to impress on physical educationalists and sociologists the importance of including the sociology of sport as a legitimate subfield in each of the two disciplines. The final goal is to make the reader aware of the positive and negative consequences of the way sport is organized in society. Contents: the sociological analysis of sport in society; social and cultural sources of the rise of sport in North America; sport and societal values; sport and youth; sport and education; sport and religion; sport and the polity; sport and the economy; sport and the mass media; sport, social stratification, and social mobility; racism in sport; females in North American sport; continuity and change; contemporary trends and the future of sport in North America. Aus Vorwort und Inhaltsverzeichnis