The Role of Cultural Studies and Social Criticism in the Sociological Study of Sport

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Abstract
It has often been asserted that the sociological study of sport is confronted by a theoretical and methodological malaise (Beamish, 1981; Ingham, 1979). In the spirit of this type of inquiry, it is argued that the developing field of cultural studies can provide some provocative frames of reference for understanding the multidimensional nature of sport in society. The first section of the paper briefly traces and critiques some of the major theoretical and methodological developments in North American sport study. The midsection of the essay introduces the related field of cultural studies, and suggests a number of ways in which it might aid our understanding of the relationship between sport, culture, and society. It is asserted that cultural studies can provide an effective critique of elitist definitions of culture, in addition to making available the conceptual tools necessary to link the production of cultural forms (such as sport), to broader social and political questions. The final section of the paper attempts to sketch out a plausible framework for integrating cultural anaylsis and sociocultural criticism into professional schools of sport science. Such an objective ultimately involves reinterpreting and analyzing the scientific basis (and bias) of contemporary physical education departments, while demonstrating the necessity for a criticallhistorical/interpretivec omponent of sport study.