Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport (Routledge Critical Studies in Sportá)

The cultural ubiquity, political prominence and economic significance of contemporary sport present fertile terrain for its critical socio-cultural analysis. From corporate and media dominated mega-events like the Olympic Games, to state programmes for nation-building and health promotion, to the cultural politics of "race," gender, sexuality, age and disability, sport is so profoundly marked by relations of power that it lends itself to critique and deconstruction. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport brings together leading experts on sport to address these issues and to reflect on the continued appeal of sport to people across the globe, as well as on the forms of inequality that sport both produces and highlights. Including a Foreword by Harry Cleaver and Afterword by Michael Berube, this book assesses the impact of this work on the fields of mainstream Marxism and cultural studies. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport is centred on three vital questions: Is Marxism still relevant for understanding sport in the twenty-first century? Has Marxism been preserved or transcended by cultural studies? What is the relationship between theory and intervention in the politics of sport? The result is a unique and diverse examination of modern sports culture. The first book published on the relationship between sport and Marxism for over twenty years, Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport isan invaluable resource for students of sport sociology, Marxism, and cultural studies at all levels. The cultural ubiquity, political prominence and economic significance of contemporary sport present fertile terrain for its critical socio-cultural analysis. From corporate and media dominated mega-events like the Olympic Games, to state programmes for nation-building and health promotion, to the cultural politics of'race', gender, sexuality, age and disability, sport is so profoundly marked by relations of power that it lends itself to critique and deconstruction. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport brings together leading experts on sport to address these issues and to reflect on the continued appeal of sport to people across the globe, as well as on the forms of inequality that sport both produces and highlights. Including a Foreword by Harry Cleaver and Afterword by Michael Bérubé, this book assesses the impact of this work on the fields of ‘mainstream'Marxism and cultural studies. Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport is centred on three vital questions: Is Marxism still relevant for understanding sport in the twenty-first century? Has Marxism been preserved or transcended by cultural studies? What is the relationship between theory and intervention in the politics of sport? The result is a unique and diverse examination of modern sports culture. The first book published on the relationship between sport and Marxism for over twenty years, Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport is an invaluable resource for students of sport sociology, Marxism, and cultural studies at all levels. Contents Notes on contributors Series editors’ preface Acknowledgements Foreword: Sports? 1 Marxism, Cultural Studies and sport: Mapping the field Part I Marxism, Cultural Studies and sport: The key debates 2 Sport without final guarantees: Cultural Studies/Marxism/sport 3 One-dimensional sport: Revolutionary Marxism and the critique of sport Part II Political economy, commodification and sport 4 The urban sport spectacle: Towards a critical political economy of sports 5 Between culture and economy: Understanding the politics of media sport 6 Marxism, alienation and Coubertin’s Olympic project Part III The sporting poetics of class, race and gender 7 Post-Marxism, black Marxism and the politics of sport 8 Venus and Serena are ‘doing it’ for themselves: Theorizing sporting celebrity, class and Black feminism for the Hip-Hop generation 9 Socratic solitude: The Scouser two-as-one Part IV Key concepts, critical theorists 10 Michel Foucault and the critique of sport 11 Re-appropriating Gramsci: Marxism, hegemony and sport 12 Sport, culture and late capitalism Afterword: High-definition sports capitalism Index Is Marxism still relevant for understanding sport in the twenty-first century? Has Marxism been preserved or transcended by cultural studies? What is the relationship between theory and intervention in the politics of sport? This book discusses the relationship between sport and Marxism. It is suitable for students of sport sociology, and Marxism 'Marxism, Cultural Studies and Sport' aims to contribute to the critical analysis of sport in society by joining together Marxist and Cultural Studies approaches in one volume, so as to reveal the underlying structures of power present in contemporary sporting cultures Edited By Ben Carrington And Ian Mcdonald. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.