‘Radical’ Social Theory of Sport: A Critique and a Conceptual Emendation

• William J. Morgan ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Tennessee
• Localización: Sociology of sport journal, ISSN 0741-1235, Vol. 2, Nº. 1, 1985, págs. 56-71
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The social theory of sport literature has taken a new and welcome critical turn in the last few years. That turn is revealed in the emergence of a Marxist-based corpus of literature which challenges headlong the fundamental tenets of mainstream (functionalist) sport sociology. The purpose of the present paper is to critically respond to this new critical theory of sport; in particular to its two major versions—what I call, respectively, vulgar Marxist, and hegemonic sport theory. I argue that both versions of this theory are conceptually flawed, and that these conceptual flaws are themselves ideologically grounded. The point of my criticisms, however, is not to undermine or otherwise deflect the critical thrust of this theory, but to suggest that that thrust requires a new conceptual scaffolding which is more sensitive to the ideological temperament of advanced capitalist society.