International Review for the Sociology of Sport

Applying and extending Elias's (1978) methodological prescriptions for analyzing group dynamics, an explanation is provided of the complex social processes through which many international games are subject to chronic changes to their codified rules. Elias emphasizes that social dynamics are related to the balance of power, the division of function, and the level of complexity of figurations. Applying this perspective, rule-changes are to be understood as the outcome of conflicts of interest between the functionally interdependent groups who produce games, each of whom mobilize their respective power and resources in order to realise their interests. Since there is a balance of power and a division of functions amongst these groups, changes to game rules are both unanticipated and unintended.

This study investigated the phenomenon of physical contact, as experienced by female basketball players. Denzin's (1984) social phenomenological method was used and understanding of physical contact was reached through content analysis of in-depth, open ended interviews with members (N=14) of a women's university basketball team competing in Canada. The study unraveled the interrelationships, meanings and essential properties of the physical contact phenomenon. The present article focuses on the results of the deconstruction and reduction phases of the social phenomenological method used in the study. These results provide a new understanding of some of women athletes' crucial experiences in basketball.

This paper is a reaction to the general neglect of an adequate treatment of gender relations in the sociology of sport. It looks at the limitations of analyses of female sport and at the possibilities of producing a potentially authentic sociology of female sport which combines theory with sporting practice. I argue that analysing sport is an inherently controversial affair.

The focus of the paper is female sport in capitalist societies, and, more specifically, in the UK. I argue that theory should question popular assertions about female sport by looking at complexities and contradictions. I discuss the relevance of feminist theories to sport and the particular problem of working out the relationship between capitalist relations and gender relations in sport.

A number of issues are discussed which have theoretical and practical dimensions — for example, the male/female distinction in sport, the desire for equality of opportunity with men in sport, the philosophy of separate development, and the concern for qualitatively different models of sport for both sexes.

Central to this paper is the problem about how we might explain theoretically the relationship between the possibilities and the limitations of female sport which have important practical and ethical implications. The focus is on the female, but the issues are relevant to males as well.

A case study was undertaken to discover the types of experiences encountered by sport organization members. Analysis focused on the ability of members to reach outcomes which motivated them to join the organization. Relationships that occurred between individuals in day-to-day interaction were examined in conjunction with relationships between groups outside of day-to-day interaction. Attention was given to how access to rules and resources, as structures simultaneously constrained and enabled individuals to reach certain objectives. Findings indicated that relationships were largely reciprocal but unbalanced. Explanations for these findings are taken from literature in organization theory and sociology.