Full Contributors:
Dr. Peter Adler, University of Denver, USA, Dr. Becky Beal, University of the Pacific, USA, Ms. Wendy Berg, Prof. Janet S. Chafetz, University of Houston, USA, Jay Coakley, University of Colorado, USA, Dr. Todd Crosset, University of Massachusetts, USA, Ms. Anna Dacyshyn, University of Toronto, USA, Peter Donnelly, Toronto University, Canada, Dr. Doug Foley, University of Texas, USA, Prof. Mark Grey, University of Northern Iowa, USA, Prof. Cynthia Hasbrook, University of Wisconsin, USA, Prof. Alan Ingham, Miami University, USA, Dr. Alan Klein, Northeastern University, USA, Dr. Michael Messner, University of Southern California, USA, Ms. Kitty Porterfield, USA, Dr. Chris Stevenson, University of New Brunswick, Canada, Dr. Derek Swain, Canada, Dr. Nancy Theberge, University of Waterloo, Canada, Dr. Shona Thompson, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Dr. Anita White, The Sports Council, England, Dr. Philip White, McMaster University, Canada, Prof. Kevin Young, University of Calgary, Canada

Sports in Society provides a comprehensive introduction to understanding the issues and controversies surrounding sports in society. Coakley delivers a critical approach toward sports related issues with an emphasis on social class, race, and ethnicity within the sports world. The new Connect course includes SmartBook, an adaptive reading and study experience. This technology encourages readers to apply their knowledge and consider the role sports plays in their personal experiences, schools, and communities. Instructors and students can now access their course content through the Connect digital learning platform by purchasing either standalone Connect access or a bundle of print and Connect access. McGraw-Hill Connect (R) is a subscription-based learning service accessible online through your personal computer or tablet. Choose this option if your instructor will require Connect to be used in the course. Your subscription to Connect includes the following: * SmartBook (R) - an adaptive digital version of the course textbook that personalizes your reading experience based on how well you are learning the content. * Access to your instructor's homework assignments, quizzes, syllabus, notes, reminders, and other important files for the course. * Progress dashboards that quickly show how you are performing on your assignments and tips for improvement. * The option to purchase (for a small fee) a print version of the book. This binder-ready, loose-leaf version includes free shipping. Complete system requirements to use Connect can be found here: http://www.mheducation.com/highered/platforms/connect/training-support-students.html

How do people become involved in sports? What can their experiences teach us?
These are two of the many questions asked by this unique collection of personal stories of people involved in sport. Told by researchers who have interviewed participants and observed what happens in the setting where people play sports, the contributions not only show how sport studies contribute to the wider study of society, but also describe the difficulties and challenges faced when doing research of this kind.
Inside Sports is divided into four main sections reflecting the social processes and developments over time that make up the experience of sport for most people, however diverse their circumstances may otherwise be:
* Early experiences: being introduced to sports
* Experience and identity: becoming an athlete
* Deep in the experience: doing sports
* Transition experiences: facing life beyond the playing field.
In its extensive coverage of the sporting experience from within, as well as its discussion of research methods, Inside Sports will be essential reading for all students studying sport in society.

Using a topics-based approach organized around provocative questions about the interaction of sports, culture and society, Sports in Society presents an accessible introduction to research and theory in the sociology of sport.This new edition continues the legacy of the previous editions while introducing new material and examples that bring theory to life. Current debates in sports, such as how youth participation can be increased or sport funding allocated, have been integrated throughout the text to provide a holistic view of society.An Online Learning Centre accompanies this book offering a range of lecturer support materials as well as resources and tests for students.

In today's culture, sports wield a weight influence; this influence, however, is rarely examined. Similar to the first edition, this second edition of Learning Culture Through Sports provides coaches, educators, parents, and others dealing with students and athletes with an engaging and critical context for probing the sociological basis of this influence. The book's sections each address a particular issue in sport: youth and sport; gender and sexuality; race and ethnicity; sport, media, and big business; and international perspectives on sport and participation. Leading experts in the field present new and exciting avenues for exploring sport in our world, allowing us to recognize its tremendous influence, both positive and negative, in our lives and in our world. This new edition also includes cutting-edge research examining contemporary issues and controversies surrounding sport today. These issues, analyzed from multiple perspectives, will inspire readers to change the game in positive ways.

In today's culture, sports wield a weight influence; this influence, however, is rarely examined. Similar to the first edition, this second edition of Learning Culture Through Sports provides coaches, educators, parents, and others dealing with students and athletes with an engaging and critical context for probing the sociological basis of this influence. The book's sections each address a particular issue in sport: youth and sport; gender and sexuality; race and ethnicity; sport, media, and big business; and international perspectives on sport and participation. Leading experts in the field present new and exciting avenues for exploring sport in our world, allowing us to recognize its tremendous influence, both positive and negative, in our lives and in our world. This new edition also includes cutting-edge research examining contemporary issues and controversies surrounding sport today. These issues, analyzed from multiple perspectives, will inspire readers to change the game in positive ways.