Explanations of the Organisation of Sport in British Society

Abstract

This paper seeks to clarify the relationship between explanations of the role of the state in Britain, and theoretical traditions in the analysis of sport. It characterises the role of the state as dominated by four chronologically ordered rationales, traditional pluralism, welfare reformism, anti-managerialism, and neo-liberalism. The paper traces the material conditions which have mediated state-sport relations and which have also provided the context for theoretical accounts of the nature of sport. British sociology of sport is characterised as falling predominantly into four major traditions, British empiricism, cultural studies, feminist studies, and figurational sociologies. Although these form no one- to-one relationship with changing state rationales, each of the traditions has contributed to a critical reflection on the role of the state, and state policies invariably reflect some of the implicit premises of these sociological critiques. The paper seeks to identify some of these shared premises and to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the theoretical traditions.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bianchini, F. (1989): "Cultural Policy and Urban Social Movements: The Response of the'New Left' in Rome (1976-85) and London (1981-86)". In: Bramham, P. et al.

Bramham, P. , Henry, T. , Mommaas, H. and van der POEL, H. (eds.), (1989): Leisure and Urban Processes: Critical Studies of Leisure Policy in the Cities of Western Europe, London, Routledge.

Coalter, F. , Duffield, B. Long, J. , (1986): The Rationale for Public Sector Leisure Provision , London, Sports Council/Economic and Social Research Council.

Department Of Environment , (1975): Sport and Recreation, London, HMSO .

Dunning, E. , (1989): "A Figurational Approach to Leisure and Sport ". In: (Ed) Rojek, Leisure for Leisure, Macmillan.

Dunning, E. , Sheard, K. , (1979): Barbarians, Gentlemen and Players London, Martin Robertson.

Elias, N. , Dunning, E. , (1986): Quest for Excitement, London , Basil Blackwell.

Featherstone, M. , (1987): "Lifestyle and Consumer Culture". In: E. Meyer, E. (ed): Everyday Life, Leisure and Culture. Conference Proceedings, Centre for Leisure Studies, Tilburg University.

Green, E. , Hebron, S. , Woodward, D. (1990): Women's Leisure, What Leisure? London, MacMillan.

10.

Hargreaves, J. , (1982): Sport, Culture and Ideology. London, Routledge and Kegan Paul.

11.

Hargreaves, J. (1986): Sport, Power and Culture. London, Polity Press.

12.

Horne, J. , Jary, D. , Tomlinson, A. , (1987): Leisure, Sport and Social Relations. Sociological Review Monograph No. 44, University of Keele .

13.

Jarvie, G. , (1985): Class, Race and Sport in South Africa's Political Economy London, Routledge and Kegan Paul.

14.

Kew, F.C. , (1987): "Contested Rules: How Games Change". In: International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 22/2.

15.

Rojek, C. , (1985): Leisure Capitalism and Social Theory, London, Tavistock.

16.

Talbot, M. , Wimbush, E. (eds), (1988): Relative Freedoms: Women and Leisure. Milton Keynes, Open University.

17.

Whannell, G. , (1983): Blowing and Whistle: The Politics of Sport. London, Pluto Press.

18.

Wolfenden Committee , (1960): Sport and the Community. London, CCPR.