This book provides a detailed introduction to the sociology of sports. It uses sociological concepts, theories, and research to raise critical questions about sports and explore the dynamic relationship between sports, culture and society. The chapters are organised around controversial and curiosity-arousing issues that have been systematically studied in the sociology of sports. Research is summarised so that readers can critically examine those issues. All content is grounded in sociological research and theory and based on the assumption that a full understanding of sports must take into account the social and cultural contexts in which sports are created, played, given meaning and integrated into people’s lives.

Sports in Society is written for those taking their first look at the relationship between sports, culture and society. It does not presume in-depth experience in sports or a detailed knowledge of sports jargon and statistics. The primary goal is to assist students to identify and explore critical issues related to sports in their lives, families, schools, communities, societies and the world as a whole. We use concepts, theories and research as tools that enable students to visualise sports as activities that are inseparable from everyday life, while at the same time recognising that they are more than mere reflections of the world in which we live. The emphasis on issues and controversies makes the content of all chapters useful for people who are concerned with sports-related policies and program administration. Our purpose is to assist those who wish to make sports more democratic and sports participation more accessible, humane and inclusive.

We have designed this edition specifically to cater for the needs of students in Australia and New Zealand. While it is clearly influenced by the structure and content of American editions of Jay Coakley’s book, this edition has been carefully rewritten from start to finish so that the content and examples are relevant and appealing to students in Australia and New Zealand. We based our ideas on our experience in teaching our own courses, as well as the plentiful feedback we received from local reviewers.

For this edition new chapter opening quotes, photos and examples have been added to maintain the timeliness of the content. Each chapter has been edited line-by-line to be more clear and concise. New research and theoretical developments are integrated into each section. Chapters have been rewritten to take into account new research and theoretical developments that specifi cally concern Australia and New Zealand. Information, including the content of tables and figures, has been replaced where needed. New substantive materials and examples have been added to maximise the relevance of the text, and there are also many new photographs and references. This edition puts a greater emphasis on the cultural, interactional and structural dimensions of sports and sporting experiences. A major challenge we faced when updating this edition was to identify topics and references that we would not include. The sociology of sports has expanded so much over the past decade that Sports in Society is now more of an introduction to the fi eld, rather than a comprehensive overview. We hope that the book we have created will be helpful and informative, and we welcome your feedback.

Chris Hallinan and Brent McDonald, August 2011