What is the point of sport studies? Does sport matter? And how and why do sport scholars teach in these ‘revolting times’? The world is more connected than ever before in its history. Our cultural, economic, political, ecological, and social experiences, in a variety of domains, are intertwined more than ever. Shifts, both positive, negative, and unqualifiable are reverberating widely, making the local global and the global local. Geopolitical conflicts, climate disasters, and so-called cultural wars play out not only on 24/7 news networks, but also on sport channels. It is nothing novel, as the pages of our journal have demonstrated over the last 50 years; the current scale, however, is unprecedented. Most recently, this interconnectedness was made evident by the COVID-19 pandemic, which starkly bared national and international hierarchies, engendering both regressive as well as progressive changes. Communities across the world are contemplating an uncertain, chaotic future, and are pressed to reassess their relationships to the past.
These shifts occur amid a widespread backlash against the humanities in the public sphere and particularly in the academy, putting traditional liberal arts in a precarious position. This CFP invites a reassessment of the place of sport, sport studies, sport histories, and perhaps a calibration of its pertinence, particularly to our students. In other words, what role should sport studies and pedagogy play in the current moment? Is there a place for radical hope in our classrooms, conferences, and/or academic output?
A quarter into an already turbulent century, this is a call to reflect upon why sport matters amid local, regional, and global movements, crises, and developments. The premise is that chaos is not exclusively unpredictable and destructive; chaos is also dynamism and rich transformation.
Sport History Review invites commentaries for a recurrent Special Section entitled “Sport Matters”. “Sport Matters” will focus on myriad positionalities of sport and sport studies around, but not limited to, the following areas and themes:
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- The legacy of sport studies
- The future of sport
- Sport historiographies
- Sport pedagogies
- Changing professional practices in sport studies
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Published since 1970, with an editorial review board that boasts members from around the world, SHR is committed to addressing topics of international interest. SHR is devoted to promoting the study of all facets of the broad field of the history of sport.
Deadline: November 30, 2024. Submission length: 2500 to 3000 words. Please direct all questions to Dr. Ornella Nzindukiyimana, Associate Editor, Sport History Review at onzinduk@stfx.ca.
