This is a thesis by research publications about the sociological study of sport. The
core of this thesis is founded upon a critical discussion of the theoretical perspective
now known as figurational or process-sociology, derived from the writings of
Norbert Elias (1978a; 1978b; 1982; Elias & Dunning, 1986; see Mennell (1989) and
Smith (2001) for general overviews ofElias's work). The thesis seeks to establish
that:
1. sport, and leisure cultures more widely, are best understood as products of
contested cultural values and meanings shared by members of dominant and
subordinate social groups in particular social formations;
2. hence the notion of cultural contestation, in conjunction with a critical
methodological orientation derived from elements of "British Cultural Studies",
Gramscian Marxism and C.Wright Mills' sociology, is a more useful perspective
for understanding these different cultural values and meanings of sport than the
more restrictive concepts of figurational/process sociology;
3. and this approach offers a better explanation for the spread of sport and leisure
cultures to non-western social formations than the more Eurocentric "civilising
process"
In order to establish this thesis the submission is structured in four parts. In the first
part following a brief biographical journey through my career as a researcher and
writer, an outline of the sociology of sport is presented that locates the theoretical
background to the submitted research papers. In the second part, the contribution of
figurational or process - sociology, as a dominant sociological approach to sport in
Britain in the 1970s, is critiqued. This critique elaborates on two earlier papers
(Home & Jary, 1987 and Jary and Home, 1987, both in Appendix 3) and their impact
on debates in the sociology of sport. A subsequent revisiting of the issues (Home &
Jary, 1994, in Appendix 2) is also discussed to further elucidate the theoretical and
substantive problems identified with the figurational approach. This critique sought
to develop the sociology of sport and encourage greater rapprochement with other
sociological concerns and perspectives.
The review in part three draws out the implications of several published research
papers, which advance the criticisms against, and demonstrate the power of,
alternative theoretical approaches to sport to that of figurational sociology. Concerns
with various theoretical lacunae in figurational sociology, and other issues, are
exemplified in the papers submitted. The papers are grouped into three topics: sport
and leisure cultures as contested cultural forms (Jary et al, 1991; Home 1995a;
Home 1996a); sport and the political economy ofthe mass media (Jary et al, 1991,
Home, 1992a, 1996b); and the globalization of sports culture (Home, 1996b, 1998a,
and 1998b).
