Product Details

Sociology of Sport Journal

This book is an outstanding presentation of the 'fair' and the 'foul', 'uniting' and 'dividing', 'healthy' and 'destructive', and 'expressive' and 'controlled' aspects of athletics in the U.S. . . . The chapters on school sport and big-time college athletes were especially compelling. . . . Eitzen [also] dispells the myth of lifelong financial security among professional athletes. This [assertion] is especially poignant for those not familiar with the sociology of sport literature and provides the basis for a classroom discussion of these issues.

Alexandre Dumas - International Review For The Sociology Of Sport

D. Stanley Eitzen continues to demystify the American sport system in this accessible book by combining a critical point of view with 'bottom-up' social activism...The structure of the book means that it can be read either in its entirety or in a more thematic way, and Eitzen skillfully deploys quotes from athletes, coaches, and reporters. The text should be useful for sensitizing students, coaches, athletes to the need for change, and will also appeal to people who are trying to resolve their love-hate relationship with sport.

Sociology Of Sport Journal

This book is an outstanding presentation of the 'fair' and the 'foul', 'uniting' and 'dividing', 'healthy' and 'destructive', and 'expressive' and 'controlled' aspects of athletics in the U.S. . . . The chapters on school sport and big-time college athletes were especially compelling. . . . Eitzen [also] dispells the myth of lifelong financial security among professional athletes. This [assertion] is especially poignant for those not familiar with the sociology of sport literature and provides the basis for a classroom discussion of these issues.

Robert E. Washington - Contemporary Sociology

I think it largely succeeds in accomplishing its primary objective: to provide an overview of social and ethical problems in the American sports world. For anyone wanting to learn about these unsavory aspects of sport, this book is the place to begin. I recommend it for introductory level courses on sport sociology, American society, and American social problems.

CHOICE

Excellent . . . a good read for academics and non-academics alike. This is a solid companion to texts in the sociology of sport.

Booknews

Taking a sociological approach to the phenomena of professional and academic sports, Eitzen (professor emeritus of sociology, Colorado State U.) examines nine particular contradictions of American sports. Among these are breaking down social barriers yet reinforcing them, the commitment to fair play versus the selfishness of some sports professionals, the commitment of higher education to sport at a cost to good education, and the image of social mobility contrasted with the number of opportunities actually available. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents