Dear all,
A week of celebrations are behind us, a week which which also produced quite a lot of content. And if you missed something, it is presented below, with links and all (language and publication dates, YYMMDD, in brackets). Click on the red headings to go to content. Utilize the Google Translate service to turn Scandinavian language pages into (some sort of) English.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
Research Article
Ska dans i skolan finnas på schemat i grundskolan? [Should dance at school be on the schedule in primary school?]
This article by Maria Edin recounts how eleven primary school teachers experience the value of dance lessons, led by a dance teacher from Sigtuna Kulturskola, in primary school grades two and three. The teachers have participated together with their students in dance lessons, once a week, for forty minutes during two grades. The conclusion is that dance in school is a good tool to use in students’ education, which also promotes both health and well-being in students. (Published in Swedish 230607; English abstract available.
A new playing field: Changing logics in the use of spaces by Finnish sport clubs
Using an institutionalist approach, this peer review article by Mihaly Szerovay examines the changing logics in the organisational field of Finnish sport clubs. More specifically, the utilisation of physical spaces by sport clubs is investigated. The article has implications for identifying the necessary skills in a sport club for sports federations and institutes educating practitioners. The findings may be useful for those involved in facility development as well. The paper has shown that the use of spaces by sport clubs reflects the logics of the organisational field. (Published in English in Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum 230609.
Book Reviews
Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps, by Ryan Stevens
Much has been written about figure skating jumps over the years, but most of it has focused on technique. Precious little has been written from a historical perspective. In Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps, Ryan Stevens does just that, going through the origins of the six jumps that give points in competition. Anna Maria Hellborg is a keen follower of figure skating and enjoyed Stevens’ book; however, being an academic, she wants more, and has suggestions for further studies of figure skating jumps. (Review in English, published 230605.)
Hegemony and Sport: Power Through Culture in Theory and Practice, by April Henning & Jesper Andreasson
One way of analysing power is through the concept of hegemony. Hegemony and Sport: Power Through Culture in Theory and Practice by April Henning & Jesper Andreasson (Common Ground) focuses on how hegemony works, particularly in sport. Hallgeir Gammelsæter has read the slim volume and found that a mere 93 pages can sometimes take an unexpected amount of time to penetrate. In all fairness, you learn what you expect to learn, but in the end you’ve had to read a lot more than you expected. (Review in English, published 230607.)
The History of Physical Culture, by Conor Heffernan
In his new book The History of Physical Culture (Common Ground), Conor Heffernan provides an engaged historical overview of physical culture from the Ancient World to the Modern Day. Dr. Greta Bladh, with great interest in physical culture as a scholar as well as a practicer, has read Heffernan’s contribution to Common Ground’s new series of mini-textbooks. While pointing out and lamenting the author’s preference for Eurocentric perspectives, she still finds reading the book well worth the effort. (Review in English, published 230608.)
New Blog Post
How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger, by David Rowe
Professional golf – and increasingly world sport – is caught in a sand trap. Not the familiar hazard between fairway and green, but the Middle Eastern desert producing enormous quantities of fossil fuels. The resulting riches are being diverted into sport, disrupting its traditional Western dominance. The latest example is the dramatic announcement that LIV Golf, the rebel circuit led by retired Australian golfer Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has merged with the (US) PGA and (European) DP World Tours after two years of trench warfare. While today’s big story is LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sport will generate many more money-driven, politics-heavy headlines. (Published in English 230608.)
New Issues of Scholarly Journals
(We rely heavily on journal publishers delivering on their promises of new issue alerts. Sometimes they don’t.)
- The International Spectator, Volume 58, Issue 2, 2023. Special Issue: “Olympic Diplomacy as Contestation: The Legacy of the Beijing Olympics” (230606)
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
- Special Issue and Online Launch | “Olympic Diplomacy as Contestation: The Legacy of the Beijing Olympics”, Special Core in The International Spectator, Volume 58, Issue 2, 2023 (230606)
- Call for Papers | “Technology Enabled Competitiveness and Experiences in Events”, Special Issue of Event Management Journal | Full Paper Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 16, 2024. (230606)
- Chance Forum 2023: Are you ready for the future of responsible sport? | December 5–6 2023, Palais des Nations, Geneva (230606)
- Call for Participation | Sport & Neutrality Symposium | Lillehammer, Norway, October 26 and 27, 2023. Registration closes September 27, 2023 (230606)
- Call for Participation | “Sport and human rights”, Summer course | FIFPRO, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, June 27–30, 2023 (230606)
- Call for Papers | International Sports Law Journal Conference | The Hague, The Netherlands, October 26–27, 2023. Call ends July 1, 2023 (230+609)
- Disputas | Helse som didaktisk fenomen i kroppsøvingsfaget. En multimetodisk studie om undervisning om helse på ungdomstrinnet av Hanne Herigstad Mong, Norges idrettshøgskole, 15 juni 2023 (230609)
- Call for Papers | History, Sports, and Nationalism in Ghana/Africa, Zoom Conference | April 2024. Call ends July 30, 2023 (230609)
