Football is the most widely played, watched and studied sport in the world. It's hard to develop a full understanding of the significance of sport in global society without understanding the significance of football. Studying Football is the first book designed specifically to guide and support the study of football on degree-level courses, across the full range of social-scientific perspectives.
Written by a team of leading international football experts, and considering themes of globalization, corporatization and prejudice and discrimination throughout, it introduces key topics in football studies, including:
- media and celebrity
- identity, fandom and consumption
- gender
- violence
- racism
- corruption
Every chapter includes up-to-date case study material, a 'Research in Action' section and features to aid student understanding and bring theory to life. Studying Football introduces all the key themes and facets of the social-scientific study of football, and is therefore an essential text for students on football studies courses and useful reading for any undergraduates studying the sociology of sport more generally.
Football is the most widely played, watched and studied sport in the world. It's hard to develop a full understanding of the significance of sport in global society without understanding the significance of football. This is the first book designed to support the study of football on degree-level courses, across the full range of social-scientific perspectives. Written by a team of leading international football experts, it introduces key themes in football studies such as history, media, politics, fandom, business, race, gender and celebrity. Every chapter includes up-to-date case study material and features to aid student understanding and bring theory to life.
"There are not many football books that will broaden your horizons, provoke thought and influence your wider view of the game and its role in the world today, but Studying Football certainly achieves this and much more. It will change your relationship with football and help explain why as a supporter you behave in certain ways. Read, learn and impress your friends and family, Studying Football is a recommended read for students and fans alike."- Allan Kemp, www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk
"Studying Football provides academic explanations of the state of the modern game which are rich in detail."-Mark Perryman, Morning Star
"Football provides a powerful platform for politicians and pressure groups alike, arguably more than any sport... That's why Studying Football is such an important read. The book is a collection of expert essays covering subjects as varied as soccer violence, race and gender, fandom and identity, globalisation and corruption."-Chris Lee, www.outsidewrite.co.uk
"As the Premier League consolidates its position as the richest in world football, the beautiful game is becoming a serious subject of study in the UK's universities... Some will doubt the value of such courses but Ellis Cashmore, author ofStudying Footballand visiting professor of sociology at Aston University, said they had a place on campus. 'If you gauge the value of academic study by the impact on culture, politics, the economy and society generally over a sustained period, then football deserves to be studied'"-Jamie Doward, The Observer
"Controversy, celebration, and commiseration in football are, and have always been, unavoidable - whether on the pitch, around the pitch, or in the corridors of the sports governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA, or the FA. This collection of eleven essays on key topics - including globalization, racism, violence, consumption, corruption, and fandom - helps readers to get an analytical grasp on the sport and assess its contemporary cultural significance. Each chapter provides an overview of the best scholarship on football in society, illustrated with an example of doing research into football. This book provides a valuable and timely contribution to understanding football in its social, cultural, economic and political contexts."- Professor John Horne FAcSS, School of Sport and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, UK
"This book is not just the first proper textbook on the subject of football, it is a must for any serious-minded follower of the often not-so-beautiful game."- Jim White, Daily Telegraph
"Thankfully, it is with pleasure that I can report that whilst the tome is thoroughly researched and written with academic rigor, Studying Football is an incredibly enjoyable and accessible book even for readers not used to such writing styles... Studying Football is a smart and clever collection which I would heartily recommend to all fans of the game."- Kieron Casey, www.the-totality.com
"It is both solid and well written; good summaries provided by the scattered research available. This will fill the absolutely their function in the UK." - Torbjörn Andersson Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University
