Dear all,
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; 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.
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; 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.And remember, if you’re not already hooked up to one of the social media outlets that we utilize, for now they are Facebook, LinkedIn and X, you’re missing quite a lot of information from idrottsforum.org that never appears on the website; this week no less than 43 updates on each, the same on all three. So, if that is the case, check out, by clicking on the names, our Facebook, LinkedIn and X accounts.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
Book Reviews
What psychoanalysis can do for sports – and sports for psychoanalysis
In Sport and Psychoanalysis: What Sport Reveals about Our Unconscious Desires, Fantasies, and Fears (Lexington Books), editors Jack Black and Joseph S. Reynoso with contributors in various ways explore the intersection of sport and psychoanalysis, emphasizing the often-overlooked psycho-social dimensions underpinning the experience of sport. Our reviewer of this eagerly awaited book is Kutte Jönsson, and perhaps the fact that he is a philosopher rather than psychologist of sport goes some way to explain his satisfaction, nay, enthusiasm over this collection. (Review in English, published 260527.)
Challenging equality narratives in digitized sports cultures
Bringing together leading experts and a mix of young and senior scholars from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Women in a Digitized Sports Culture: Nordic Perspectives (Routledge) presents new empirical research and critical theoretical perspectives at the intersection of gender, sports, media and technology. Our reviewer is Angela Stănescu, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and she finds that the collection is an important academic contribution to sports and media scholarships, suitable for researchers and students who want better to understand gender inequalities in sports. (Review in English, published 260528.)
Nineteenth century American sport: “An effective antidote to stress and psychosomatic illness”
Gerald R. Gems’ latest book Mental Health, Gender, and the Rise of Sport (Lexington Books) examines the historical role of sport as both a mental and physical remedy during the late-nineteenth-century epidemic of neurasthenia in the US, a debilitating neurological condition that gripped American society. We asked Scott Fleming, seasoned scholar of sport studies, for a review. He found Gem’s book thoroughly enjoyable, rigorously researched, engagingly written, and dealing with this neurasthenia epidemic, the curing of which prescribed sport, exercise and physical activity. (Review in English, published 260529.)
New Blog Post
Game changers: how soccer’s mega‑money era was sparked by a little‑known Belgian athlete, by David Rowe
When famous soccer players come to mind, it is usually revered pioneers such as Pelé, Bobby Charlton and Diego Maradona. Later came Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Samantha Kerr. But who has heard of Jean-Marc Bosman? Anyone interested in association football (soccer) or sport in general should know about Bosman. He is responsible for the European Court of Justice’s landmark December 1995 Bosman Ruling (often just called Bosman) that enabled players in Europe to move freely between clubs. Read more… (Published in English 260525.)
Scholarly Journals
Since its inception 23 years ago, idrottsforum.org has been proudly presenting every new issue of almost all scholarly journals within the field of sport studies, widely defined. However, after carefully considering the whole situation – with increasing number of journals and number of issues per journal – we have decided to let go of the original ambition; it has become too time-consuming. Henceforth we will publish alerts about new journal issues on our social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn and X), and also special alerts when particularly interesting articles in scholarly journals are published online, giving priority to open access publications. The Scholarly Journals page will list all journals within the extended sport studies field for your information, and we will endeavor to update it with any new titles being launched.
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
- Call for Participation | Women, Children and Youth in Sport – Protection of Fundamental Human Rights | Hybrid free conference at the University of Rijeka, Croatia, May 29, 2026. Register a.s.a.p. (260527)
