Tag: athlete activism

The Handbook of Global Sport Activism, under contract with Edward Elgar Publishing, seeks to offer new avenues for sport activism research by bringing together scholarship extending our contemporary understanding of activism in and through the institution of sport beyond a strictly North American/Global North focus. Our editorial team defines sport activism broadly, and encourages chapter proposals that examine various stakeholders’ activism in the sport ecosystem (e.g., athletes, coaches, sport professionals, community organizers, sport sponsors, sport organizations, scholars, fans, etc.).

Given the vast range of issues within and surrounding college sport, it is timely and important to have a special issue that explores historical and contemporary instances of activism in and through college sport, their impacts, and the future trajectory of these efforts. Empirical, conceptual, methodological, and theoretical submissions are encouraged. In this special issue, we invite scholars to offer critical examinations of different types of activism exhibited by individuals, groups, and institutions connected to college sport.

The overarching focus of the book is to explore the role athletes have played in raising awareness of and advancing social justice issues. Authors are asked to consider various aspects of athlete involvement and influence, using a wide range of theoretical perspectives. Please note that although the book will provide an early historical chapter as the foundation for exploring athlete activism, it focuses on the past 30 years (1990-present), reaching beyond the Civil Rights era. 

The overarching focus of the book is to explore the role athletes have played in raising awareness of and advancing social justice issues. Authors are asked to consider various aspects of athlete involvement and influence, using a wide range of theoretical perspectives. Please note that although the book will provide an early historical chapter as the foundation for exploring athlete activism, it focuses on the past 30 years (1990-present), reaching beyond the Civil Rights era.

Although it never went away, racial inequality is back in the global headlines. The raised profile of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) anti-racism movement has polarized opinions in many quarters. Sociologists of sport have an important part to play in making sense of these global trends, controversies and particularities, not least by studying political movements and counter-movements, as well as media portrayals or racialized groups, and their everyday experiences of ethnification and racialization.

This edited collection aims to provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary overview of athlete activism. While athletes as ‘activists’ – broadly defined – is not necessarily a new area of study, it has commanded a significant range of both scholarly and media attention in recent years. High-profile figures from across elite sport have lent their voices in an attempt to influence a variety of social, political, ethical and/or environmental issues.

This JLAS issue aspires to elevate the discourse about social responsibility in sports by improving understanding of related legal and ethical rights and obligations. We welcome thoughtful articles that identify the legal and ethical tensions in this arena, and articulate principles and standards for protecting those rights and enforcing those obligations.