ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the broad trends in the sociology of sport scholarship that, much like the field of urban studies and sociology more generally, defy neat compartmentalization. It considers several themes around which to organize the material, each representing a current focus of sport and the urban scholarship. The chapter explains how each theme has developed over time, identifies key sociologically oriented theorists associated with each, and shows the ways in which the sociology of sport both draws from and contributes to their insights. In addition to more deeply conceptualizing the relationship between sport and community, a number of case studies published in the sociology of sport literature provide empirical evidence that sport is used to construct a hegemonic discourse about urban culture that is both powerful and problematic. New corporate towers and luxury apartments alongside bars, restaurants, festival marketplaces, and shopping malls aim to develop urban cores into sites that serve business professionals and middle-class residents and attract visitors.
