ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the main theories and approaches within the sociology of sport. It addresses the collaborations, continuities and differences between sociology and those other social sciences with research interests in sport. The book examines how core social divisions impact upon sport. It considers the key sociological research fields of class, gender, race, sexuality and disability. The book explores the many substantive issues that are investigated by sociologists of sport. It focuses on research methods in the sub-discipline. The book also explores a full array of strongly influential social theories within the sociology of sport, specifically functionalism, interpretivism, Marxism and neo-Marxism, physical cultural studies, poststructuralism and postcolonial perspectives, as well as the theoretical frameworks advanced by Norbert Elias, Pierre Bourdieu and Niklas Luhmann.
