ABSTRACT
Today, we live in an age of affluence, and yet poverty, inequality, homelessness, violence, fragmenting communities, the violation of labour laws and many other issues presented in Sport, Culture and Society remain with us. Sport needs to be contextualised critically and evaluated so that we can explain why sport is the way it is today. This chapter highlights the need to draw on substantive evidence and explain that evidence, but also the necessity to link this exercise to policies and attempts to produce social change. It champions the cause of the researcher, teacher, intellectual, sports enthusiast and student of sport who really wants to understand more than just the popularity, importance and relevance of sport in today's world. The chapter introduces some of the tools of the trade that help to equip and enlighten the enquiring students and sports enthusiasts who are fascinated and caught up in the power, potential and passion of sport and related areas.
