This paper examines the amateur ideal to assess whether it is possible in today's sportsworld. The first section presents the defining characteristics of the amateur. The second reviews the dominant themes in the sport literature regarding the amateur ideal: (1) amateurism as a mechanism of class hegemony; (2) amateurism as exploitive ideology; (3) amateurism as an anachronism; and (4) amateurism as a citadel of purity. The final section of the paper examines amateurism in the contemporary context. The argument is that elite amateur sport has moved beyond the amateur ideal to become corporate sport. At another level, however, amateur sport thrives. Questions are raised that should guide future research on these true amateurs.
Eitzen, D.S., (1988): "The educational experience of intercollegiate student athletes". In: Journal of Sport and Social Issues (II), 15-30.
3.
Eitzen, D.S. & Sage, G.H., (1986): "Sociology of north American sport", 3rd ed. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.
4.
Furst, R.E., (1971): "Social change and the commercialization of professional sports". In: International Review of Sport Sociology (6). 153-173.
5.
Gent, P., (1978): "Some hard thoughts on games people play". In: Los Angeles Times (November 26). section 2, 7.
6.
Gladner, E. (1978): "Amateurism and athletics". West Point, NY: Leisure Press.
7.
Glasner, D., (1987): "Cheap labor on campus". In: Newsweek (November 9). 12.
8.
Guttmann, A., (1978): "From ritual to record: the nature of modern sports". New York: Columbia University Press.
9.
Guttmann, A., (1984): "The games must go on: Avery Brundage and the Olympic movement". New York: Columbia University Press.
10.
Halberstam, D., (1985): "The amateurs: the story of four young men and their quest for an olympic gold medal". New York: William Morrow .
11.
Harris, S.J., (1983): "The new 'profession' of sports". In: Et cetera (40). 53-58.
12.
Kiesling, S., (1988): "The last amateurs". In: The New Yorker (March 14). 85-103.
13.
Kleinfield, M.R., (1987): "Penn State's $20 Million Touchdown". In: The New York Times (September 13). Section 3, 1.
14.
Koch, J.V., (1973): "A troubled cartel: the NCAA". In: Law and Contemporary Problems (38). 135-150.
15.
Leslie, Gregg., (1986): "Georgetown University Revenues Attributable to Patrick Ewing". In: Ragardie's (January). 17.
16.
Messner, M., (19867): "Sports and the politics of inequality". In: Changing Men (Winter). 27.
17.
Metcalfe, A., (1987): "Canada learns to play: the emergence of organized sport", 1807-1914. Toronto: McLelland & Stewart.
18.
Nixon, H.L. II., (1984): "Sport and the American dream". New York: Leisure Press.
19.
Osterhoudt, R.G., (1981): "Capitalist and socialist interpretations of modern amateurism: an essay on the fundamental difference". In J. Segrave & D. Chu (eds.): Olympism. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
20.
Rader, B.G., (1983): "American sports: from the age of folk games to the age of spectators". Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
21.
Rader, B.G., (1984): "In its own image: how television transformed sports". New York: The Free Press .
22.
Russell, B. & Branch, T., (1979): "Second wind: the memoirs of an opinionated man ". New York: Ballantine.
23.
Sack, A.L., (1980): "Amateurism as an exploitive ideology. A paper presented at the annual meetings of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance", Detroit.
24.
Sack, A.L. & Kidd, B., (1985): "The amateur athlete as employee". In J. Frey & A. Johnson (eds.): Government and Sport: Public Policy Issues. Totowa, NJ: Rowman & Allenheld.
25.
Sage, G.H., (1982): "The intercollegiate sports cartel and its consequences for athletes". In J. Frey (ed.): The governance of Intercollegiate athletics. West Point, NY: Leisure Press.
26.
Sage, G.H., (1985): "The end of amateur ideology in intercollegiate sport. A paper presented at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association", Louisville, Kentucky.
27.
Sage, G.H., (1987): "Blaming the victim: NCAA responses to calls for reform in major college sport". In: Arena Review (11). 1-11.
28.
Sewart, J.J., (1981): "The rationalization of modern sport: the case of professional football". Arena Review (5). 45-53.
29.
Sewart, J.J., (1985): "The meaning of amateurism". In: Sociology of Sport Journal (2). 77-86.
30.
Stebbins, R.A., (1979): "Amateurs: on the margin, between work and leisure ". Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications .
31.
Stebbins, R.A., (1987): "Canadian football: the view from the helmet". London, Ontario: Centre for Social and Humanistic Studies, University of Western Ontario.
32.
Strenk, A., (1981): "Amateurism: myth and reality". In Jeffrey Segrave & Donald Chu (eds.): Olympism. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
33.
Tom, D., (1988): "Anita DeFrantz: takes Olympian effort to the community". In: USA Today (January 4). 9C.
34.
Underwood, J., (1984): "Spoiled sport: a fan's notes on the troubles of spectators sports". Boston: Little, Brown.
35.
Yasser, R., (1984): "Are scholarship athletes at big-time programs really university employees? — you bet they are!" In: Black Law Journal (9). 65-78.
36.
Young, T.R., (1984): "The sociology of sport: a critical overview". Arena Review (8). 1-14.
