Values And Norms In Sport

This book is accessible to a wide range of teachers, researchers and students in the world of sport. The central research question in the book is how values and norms manifest themselves in sport and what societal meanings they have. Different contributions provide a number of different perspectives.

How will sport keep pace with current scientific and biological advances? Is the possibility of the 'bionic athlete' that far away and is this notion as bad as it might first appear? Is our fascination with sport winners fascistoid? Questions such as these and many others are posed and examined by the contributors to this volume. Some are sceptical of future developments in sport and demand radical reforms to halt progress, others are more optimistic and propose that sport should adapt to new advances just as other realms of the cultural sphere have to. Some of the topics examined here, such as the genetic engineering of athletes, and the significance of the public's fascination with sport winners, are being discussed for the first time, whilst others such as sex segregation, nationalism and doping are being revisited and reintroduced onto the agenda after a period of suggestive silence. This book provides the reader with a deep insight into the moral and ethical value we place on sport in today's society. Challenging and demanding, its contributors urge us to think again about current sports practices and the future of sport as a cultural phenomenon.

Fair Play in Sport presents a critical re-working of the classic ideal of fair play and explores its practical consequences for competitive sport. By linking general moral principles and practical cases, the book develops a contemporary theory of fair play. The book examines many of the key issues in the ethics of sport, including: * fairness and justice in sport * moral and immoral interpretation of 'athletic performance' * what makes a 'good competition' * the key values of competitive sport. The notion of fair play is integral to sport as we know and experience it, and is commonly seen as a necessary ethos if competitive sport is to survive and flourish. Fair Play in Sport provides an invaluable guide to the subject for all those with an interest in ethics and the philosophy of sport.

Defending ethics in sport is vital in order to combat the problems of corruption, violence, drugs, extremism and other forms of discrimination it is currently facing. Sport reflects nothing more and nothing less than the societies in which it takes place. However, if sport is to continue to bring benefits for individuals and societies, it cannot afford to neglect its ethical values or ignore these scourges. The major role of the Council of Europe and the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in addressing the new challenges to sports ethics was confirmed by the 11th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, held in Athens on 11 and 12 December 2008. A political impetus was given on 16 June 2010 by the Committee of Ministers, with the adoption of an updated version of the Code of Sports Ethics (Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)9), emphasising the requisite co-ordination between governments and sports organisations. The EPAS prepared the ministerial conference and stepped up its work in an international conference organised with the University of Rennes, which was attended by political leaders, athletes, researchers and officials from the voluntary sector. The key experiences described in the conference and the thoughts that it prompted are described in this publication. All the writers share the concern that the end result should be practical action - particularly in terms of the setting of standards - that falls within the remit of the EPAS and promotes the Council of Europe's core values.

Three leading researchers in the sociology of sport have authored a text that will revolutionize the teaching of undergraduate sport sociology. Most sociology of sport texts merely describe sport in our society; >The Social Significance of Sport> goes on to explain why sport functions as it does in our society.This text is not the usual topical approach to sport sociology; it provides a far more comprehensive, penetrating, and insightful analysis of contemporary sport. The text forms three parts, each detailing a major theme.Part Iconsiders how sport reflects the norms, values, and practices of other social institutions, such as the following:--The family-School and youth groups-Politics and law-The economy-The mass mediaPart IIanalyzes how sport fosters inequity or promotes social mobility for cross-sections of the population such as--ethnic minorities,-females,-the financially disadvantaged, and-older adults.Part IIIexamines how sport can encourage resistance and conflict. It also explores sport`s potential to--stimulate social change beyond the world of sport and-create subcultures that pursue the interests of disadvantaged groups.>The Social Significance of Sport> is a comprehensive, analytical, and interpretive synthesis of the essential knowledge in sport sociology. This text covers the spectrum of issues in the sociology of sport, incorporating both cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary information to add depth and richness to its scope.You`ll find no better introductory sociology of sport text to help students--appreciate the social significance of sport,-understand the social structures, social relations, and social problems of sport, and-learn how the theories and methods of the social sciences allow us to better understand sport and to develop policies and programs to resolve social problems in sport.The trio of internationally renowned sport sociologists have applied their 40 years of collective teaching experience to write this highly practical resource. The text explains complex concepts in understandable and straightforward language, using frequent examples to illustrate key points and captivate student interest.Each chapter features--an insightful overview to introduce the major issues,-highlights that enhance understanding by presentingadditional information on major issues in sport, and-wrap-ups that summarize the content of each chapter.A glossary is featured in the back of the text, and glossary terms are identified in bold in each chapter.You`ll also appreciate the supporting >Instructor Manual for The Social Significance of Sport.> It contains suggestions for class assignments, an extensive list of audiovisual support materials, and objective, short-answer, and essay questions for testing.Challenge your students to become critical observers of sport by adopting the most insightful, thought-provoking, theoretically stimulating text yet written for introductory sociology of sport courses.

Higher education in sport has become a hot issue in Europe over the last ten years - not only is it now seen by many educators as an integral part of higher education, but sport itself has become extremely important in the European political arena. Higher Education in Sport in Europe examines both aspects of sport in education against the ......

The influence of professional, adult sport on youth sport is now a global concern. Children are involved in high-stakes competitive sport at national and international levels at an increasingly young age. In addition, the use of sport as a medium for positive youth development by governments and within the community has fuelled ambitious targets for young people's participation in sport at all levels. In this important study of ethical issues in and around youth sport, leading international experts argue for the development of strong ethical codes for the conduct of youth sport and for effective policy and pedagogical applications to ensure that the positive benefits of sport are optimized and the negative aspects diminished. At the heart of the discussion are the prevailing standards and expectations of youth sport in developed societies, typically consisting of the development of motor competence, the development of a safe and healthy lifestyle and competitive style, and the development of a positive self-image and good relationship skills. The book examines the recommendations emerging from the 'Panathlon Declaration' and the debates that have followed, and covers a wide range of key ethical issues, including: emotional and physical abuse aggression and violence doping and cheating values and norms teaching and coaching integrity management. Ethics in Youth Sport is focused on the application of ethical policy and pedagogies and is grounded in practice. It assumes no prior ethical training on the part of the reader and is essential reading for all students, researchers, policy makers and professionals working with children and young people in sport across school, community and professional settings.