Hegemony and Sport: Power Through Culture in Theory and Practice

How does power work in sport, especially when there seems to be no one enforcing unspoken rules? Power is about influence and relationships, and the ability to discipline, control, and steer the actions – and even the thoughts – of others. This can be done in different ways: directly, using force or “hard” methods such as punishment for breaking laws; or indirectly, without the use of harsh sanctions or physical violence. One way of analyzing power is through the concept of hegemony – a soft form of power exercised through consent rather than force, through ongoing interaction between the powerful and powerless to produce common sense understandings of society and culture. This book focuses on how hegemony works, particularly in sport, to understand how power, dominance, and resistance may manifest in different ways within a variety of contexts, in theory and in practice. It also discusses how hegemony can work within sport and how dominance and power are maintained – as well as sometimes being challenged or resisted. Through discussions to help students develop tools for analyzing issues of power and empirical examples that show how various concepts can bring a deepened understanding of sport and society, this book gives insight into how hegemony works, particularly in sport.