The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Society

As we gear up for the Paralympics, this week’s review takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of sport and society.

Posted on August 26, 2024 in Reviews of the Month

The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Society

ed. by Lawrence A. Wenner Oxford, 2022
1,200p bibl index, 9780197519011 $175.00, 9780197519035

Wenner has put together a comprehensive, interdisciplinary handbook that will be an essential reference for those studying sport and society. With contributions from leading international authorities, this state-of-the-field collection will benefit students and scholars of all levels. The handbook is divided into six themed sections, and every chapter investigates sport at two “intersections” with society. Each chapter is structured in three primary sections: issues, approaches, and debates, a feature that helps with continuity and readability. Wenner’s introductory chapter should be mandatory reading for anyone in sport studies. In one chapter, he deftly chronicles the history and development of the field while thoroughly reviewing the dominant priorities and themes fundamental to studying sport and society. Overall the handbook focuses on gender and other issues of identity, all generally reflecting a concern with equity. Tracing two of the primary foundational beliefs of the field, Wenner explains how sport studies works in tandem with other disciplines, giving special attention to intersections with physical cultural studies. The handbook illustrates the breadth and depth of this diverse field. This essential collection illustrates why, despite challenges to its legitimacy, the study of sport and society matters now more than ever.

Summing Up: Essential. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and faculty. General readers.
Reviewer: A. Curtis, Lake Erie College
Subject: Science & Technology – Sports & Recreation
Choice Issue: Aug 2023

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