Organized sport as we know it is not an expression of social consensus or of continuing progress towards a better world, nor is it a homogeneous, cohesive entity. This book invites us to consider the hidden face of Canadian sport. Has there been equal opportunity for the various social classes and ethnic groups, and between men and women? What role has television, the writer of sports fiction, or the established church in Quebec had in deciding what games can be played and who can play them? What are the implications of state involvement in sport?
Adopting an acutely critical perspective, the authors
◦ identify the main social forces that shape contemporary sports,
◦ analyse the organizations whose spheres of influence include our sports institutions,
◦ examine the ideologies of the various social actors involved, and
◦ distinguish the various patterns of participation among diverse social groups.
The first of its kind in Canadian sports academia, this book includes contributions by both English- and French-speaking scholars and is available in both official languages (the French version is entitled Sport et pouvoir: les enjeux sociaux au Canada). Written as an introductory textbook on the sociology of sport, it has a particularly Canadian focus that will interest both student and teacher.
Anyone with an interest in sport will appreciate the stimulating and provocative insights it offers into the cultural mosaic of which Canadian sport and leisure are a part.

Jean Harvey is director of the Research Centre for Sport in Canadian Society at the University of Ottawa.

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HART CANTELON teaches sociology, history and comparative studies in the School of Physical and health Education, Queen’s University. He also serves as the Director of the Centre for Sport and Leisure Studies. His research interests encompass sport and leisure in the state-socialist societies, the workers’ sports movement and children in high-performance sport.

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