Sports Matters brings critical attention to the centrality of race within the politics and pleasures of the massive sports culture that developed in the U.S. during the past century and a half.

Donald Sterling. Ray Rice. The Washington Redskins. The Miami Dolphins. NCAA Athletes. These names, among countless others, have blanketed the headlines as the media has brought global attention to several recent sports controversies. Now, Kenneth L. Shropshire, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics and Director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, uses these stories as a prism for exploring the leadership challenges facing team owners, management, players, and fans. In Sport Matters: Leadership, Power, and the Quest for Respect in Sports, Shropshire examines the need for diversity, inclusion, respect, and equality in sports, focusing on the need for leadership to embrace and deliver these principles in a real and tangible way within the sports industry. He also introduces the Sports Power Matrix, a framework for understanding power within the sports industry. Sport Matters addresses what the Donald Sterling drama can teach us about race and the need for inclusion at the ownership level; the lessons learned from the NFL and Ray Rice case; the Washington Redskins name and the economics of change; what the Miami Dolphins matter tells us about respect in the workplace and beyond; and compensation and equality in "amateur" sports. Sport Matters, filled with disturbing revelations and uncomfortable truths, also provides hope, revealing how obstacles to achieving an ideal culture of equality and respect within the sports industry can be removed. Shropshire argues that while change matters, continued emphasis on diversity, inclusion and respect is needed to create true progress.

‘Contemporary Issues in Sport Management presents an extensive array of absorbing contemporary issues relevant to managing sport. Internationally recognised scholars have contributed thought-provoking chapters on current global and local issues that are challenging traditional ways of thinking about and delivering sport. This exciting new book is rich in theory and stimulates readers to really think through the associated implications for sport management practice.’ -Tracy Taylor, Professor and Deputy Dean, University of Technology Sydney Business School Contemporary Issues in Sports Management offers a rich and dynamic introduction to the management of sport. An essential companion for all students embarking on a sports management course or module, it draws on research expertise from around the world and integrates these perspectives into engaging and accessible chapters. This book offers: Contemporary and international case studies followed by ‘Tools for analysis’ so students can put the methodology into practice. A range of pedagogical features including learning objectives, learning outcomes and short ‘Thinking points’ Useful websites and further reading at the end of each chapter A discussion of up-to-date issues including corruption in sport, sport policy, doping, athlete transgressions and much more. This book will lead students on a comprehensive exploration of global, national issues, and organizational issues in sport management. The authors encourage critical thought, investigation and the questioning of current practice in order to improve the leadership and management of sport in today’s society. Ideal for Undergraduate students of sport management, sport business, sport policy, sport marketing and sport development.

Matters of Sport is a tribute to Eric Dunning, the leading sports sociologist in the English-speaking world. This book addresses Dunning's contributions to the sociological and historical study of sport, covering key topics such as hooliganism, celebrity and gender relations. A broad range of leading academics from Europe and North America reflect on the ways in which Dunning's work has influenced their own research and understanding of sport. This volume was previously published as a special issue of the journal Sport in Society.

This book examines the global sports ecosystem through three of its central pillars: Sport marketing, sports equipment manufacture and sales, and sport governance and organization. By focusing on these three themes, the book presents a nuanced and multi-faceted view of how the global sports economy works and what its main strategic challenges and opportunities are. Offering a balance between theory and practice, and adopting an international perspective with case studies and examples from the Americas, Europe and Asia, the book addresses key issues such as corporate social responsibility, the impact of culture on international sport business, innovation and entrepreneurship, and consumer behaviour. The Global Sport Economy is fascinating reading for students, researchers and practitioners with an interest in sport business and management, sport marketing, the sporting goods industry and distribution and sport governance.

"The 2025 release of Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies provides a detailed introduction to the sociology of sport. It uses sociological concepts, theories, and research to raise critical questions about sports and explore the dynamic relationship between sports, culture, and society. The chapters are organized around controversial and curiosityarousing issues that have been systematically studied in sociology and related fields. Research on these issues is summarized and cited so that readers can critically examine them. Chapter content is guided by sociological research and theory and based on the assumption that a full understanding of sports must take into account the social and cultural contexts in which sports are created, played, given meaning, and integrated into people's lives. At a time when we too often think that an online search provides everything we need to know, I intend this text as a thoughtful scholarly work that integrates research on sports as social phenomena, makes sense of the expanding body of work in the sociology of sport, and inspires critical thinking"--

Sociocultural Issues in Sport and Physical Activity explores the intersections between modern physical activity and society. The text surpasses the scope of sociological texts that focus solely on sports, covering a broad range of physical activities such as fitness, dance, weightlifting, and others. The authors emphasize the promotion of healthy individuals and a healthy body in the many movement settings where the body is active. Sociocultural Issues in Sport and Physical Activity explores contemporary topics such as reducing disparities in education and income, increasing socioeconomic diversity in communities, the medicalization of fitness, the rise of cosmetic fitness, the promotion of physical activity as a requirement for health, and the globalization of the fitness industry. The text includes the following features to enhance student engagement: Chapter objectives help students achieve their learning goals Key points and terms to highlight important information throughout the text Active Bodies sidebars that offer context for concepts presented in the chapter and provide examples and applications Discussion questions that provide opportunities to reflect on chapter topics Part I of Sociocultural Issues in Sport and Physical Activity examines political, educational, media, and economic institutions that influence the relationship between society and physical activity. Part II explores how an individual’s race, gender, social class, and ability are interpreted through a social lens. Part III of the text discusses the process of developing healthy populations as well as promoting public health and body positivity. Sociocultural Issues in Sport and Physical Activity offers a cross-cultural perspective of society, health, and the body in motion. Readers will finish the text with a greater understanding of social theory applications in physical culture.

Takes you on a journey from the Olympic Games in Athens to the World Cup in Germany - via the Ashes series, the Ryder Cup, Wimbledon, and more. This book examines why sport holds us all in such thrall, how it uplifts and crushes us - and can seem to matter more than life itself.

Ethics in Sport, Third Edition, offers 32 essays by well-known authors. These essays explore the roots of the ethical and moral dilemmas so prevalent in sport culture today. Nearly half the essays are new to this edition.

2018 DIGITAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST SOCIAL IMPACT BOOK The student-athlete's life: practice, gym, weight room, film review, repeat. Simply put, sports come first. Academics is a distant second. As the revenues generated by big-time college sports continue to skyrocket, virtually all of the debate involves whether (and how much) student-athletes should be paid for play. Kenneth L. Shropshire and Collin D. Williams, Jr., argue that "student" has to come first in student-athlete: the focus should be on prioritizing a meaningful education. In The Miseducation of the Student Athlete: How to Fix College Sports, Shropshire and Williams draw on new research to reveal that it has become increasingly difficult for college athletes to balance school and sports, much less a social life, leading to serious economic, professional, and emotional consequences for young people. Given that fewer than 2% of all college men's basketball and football players will play at the professional level, the other 98% of student-athletes must be prepared to find and perform well in jobs outside of their respective field of play. In this bold call to action, Shropshire and Williams explain how we got here and what can be done about it. They lay out The Student-Athlete Manifesto, a roadmap to increase the likelihood that student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field. They also offer a Meaningful Degree Model, which ensures education pays for everyone, along with stories of success that show it is possible to be both a student and an athlete. A critical read for student-athletes, sports leadership, policy makers, and anyone who loves college sports, The Miseducation of the Student Athlete has the potential to disrupt college sport and create lasting change.