ABSTRACT

The ability to engage critically with the visual cultures and practices of sport and exercise is an important area of academic study. This is because ‘the visual’ is central to the cultural construction of social life in contemporary Western societies. Moreover, visual imagery is never innocent, but constructed through various practices, technologies and knowledges (Rose, 2007). This long-standing interest in ‘the visual’ within the social sciences is reflected by the numerous books (e.g. Banks, 2007; Huggins & O’Mahony, 2012; Margolis & Pauwels, 2011; Pink, 2007; Rose, 2012), scholarly journals (e.g. Visual Studies, Journal of Visual Culture) and organizations (e.g. International Visual Sociology Association, British Visual Sociology Group) dedicated to the subject of visual research methods (VRM).