Introduction to the Sociology of Sport

Otmar Weiss, Ph.D. (Vienna, 1984), professor at the Department of Sport Science at the University of Vienna, has written five books, edited seven, and published approx. 100 articles nationally and internationally, including the study report European Sport Index in European Journal for Sport and Society.Gilbert Norden, Ph.D. (Vienna, 1984), professor at the Department of Sociology at the University of Vienna, has written four books, edited three, and published 35 research reports and approx. 160 articles in scientific journals, including the International Journal of the History of Sport.

“In adopting their approach, the authors widen the lens through which to critically study sport. This more global, theoretical, and comparative approach is academically laudable”. J. R. Mitrano, in Choice Connect, 2022.

• PrefaceIntroduction1  The subject matter of sociology2  Sociology of sport: subject area, theoretical approaches, and different methods3  Sport and society3.1 Sport and culture: values in society and in sport3.1.1  Sport and civilization3.2 Expansion of sport, internal differentiation, and trends4 Socialization and sport4.1 Gender roles in sport4.1.1  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intergender (LGBTI) people in sport4.2 Social stratification in sport4.2.1  Physical habitus, somatic culture, and social distinction4.2.2  Sports of the lower social classes4.2.3  Sports of the upper social classes5  Sport and the social group5.1 Social processes in sport groups5.1.1  Group size and group task in sport5.1.2  Group cohesion in sport5.2 Social facilitation6 Sport, social recognition, and identity6.1 Anthropological constants6.1.1  World-openness6.1.2  Excentricity 6.1.3  Pursuit of recognition6.1.3.1  Durkheim’s study on suicides6.2 Social recognition in sport6.2.1  Recognition as a member of a group6.2.2  Recognition in an ascribed role6.2.3  Recognition in an achieved role6.2.4  Recognition in a public role6.2.5  Recognition of personal identity6.3 African Americans in sport6.4 Action and representation in society and in sport6.5 Sport as a social phenomenon7  Violence and doping in sport8  Towards the joy of play and movement in sport8.1 The flow experience in sport9 Sport and communication10 Sport spectators10.1  Social integration10.2  Identification 10.3  Experiencing suspense and showing intense emotions10.4  Sport and religion10.5  On aggression among sport spectators10.5.1  Causes for aggressive behavior10.5.2  History of violence in spectator sport11 Sport and mass communication11.1  Communicator research11.2  Content analysis11.2.1  Content analysis of television sport11.2.2  Content analysis of sport reporting in newspapers11.2.3  Sport reporting and gender11.3  Media research11.4  Audience research11.4.1  Audience research in the United Kingdom11.4.2  Audience research in the USA11.4.3  Audience research in Australia11.4.4  Motives for consuming media sport11.5  Impact research11.5.1  Theory of the omnipotence of the media11.5.2  Theory of the relative ineffectiveness of the media12 Sport and the economy12.1  Sport marketing and mass media13 Sport and politics13.1  The power of sport: A theoretical approach13.2  Sport, social integration, and national self-representation13.3  Sport as a means of strengthening a nation13.4  Sport boycotts13.5  Sport, globalization, and Olympism