A 2023 Choice Reviews Outstanding Academic Title This book provides an accessible space for interdisciplinary scholarship and narrative through an analysis of the power of media and sports, focusing on the intersectionality of identity, politics, social justice, and social movements within this context. Contributors examine how identities coalesce in sports and discuss the ways in which sports provide spaces for marginalized communities and create unique platforms that shift how society defines identity. Athletes' identities and actions--and mass media's representation thereof--can influence both the perceptions of society as a whole and how individuals view themselves, contributors argue. Each chapter delves into how different aspects of identity, including race, gender, disability, and sexuality, have developed and influenced social change, with a strong focus on lived experiences of both scholars and athletes from marginalized communities. Scholars of media studies, communication, sociology, and kinesiology may find this book particularly useful.
Dr. Andrew M. Colombo-Dougovito is assistant professor of sport pedagogy and motor behavior at the University of North Texas. Dr. Tracy Everbach is professor of digital/print journalism at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. Dr. Karen Weiller-Abels is associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas.
This collection of articles by authors from different disciplines and continents, including North America, South America, and Europe, focuses on identity politics of marginalized communities participating in sport and how it can impact the wider culture. Overall, the book argues that sport provides the space for the participation and showcasing of marginalized identities, and that because sport operates as a public arena, it can shape the public view of these identities, serving as a vehicle for social change. The editors do not claim to provide an exhaustive examination of the topic but express their goal of highlighting some examples of how sport influences the cultural construction of identity by creating spaces for athletes to build community and showcase how different groups can coexist. The book should appeal to a broad audience given the popularity of sport, but especially because the voices of stakeholders are included. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals, as well as, general readers. -- "Choice Reviews"
