Summary
Contents
Subject index
‘A refreshingly critical contribution to the major debates in sports studies, this volume will nicely complement the conventional texts. The entries are well structured, introducing and explaining the arguments, and then applying them to current sports policies and controversies. I admire the material and will recommend it to my students’ — Professor Dave Harris, University College Plymouth, Marjon
Written by experienced academics use to teaching the subject, this book will help students and researchers find their way within the diverse field of sport studies. Clear, well researched entries explain the key concepts in the debates surrounding the social significance and social dynamics of sport. Each entry provides:
- Clear Definitions
- Relevant Examples
- Up-to-date Suggestions for Further Reading
- Informative Cross-Referencing
Valuable in its parts and indispensable as a whole, this book will provide a stimulating, practical guide to the relationship between sport and society.
Amateurism
Amateurism
The word ‘amateur’ is French in origin and derives from the Latin word for ‘love’ – the same root that gave us the English word ‘amorousrsquo;. It was therefore used originally to describe someone who pursued an activity solely for the love of it. Amateurism is generally seen as an English phenomenon (Allison, 2001: 10).
Few people today would understand the word ‘amateurism’ as primarily denoting love. In the modern world it usually signifies incompetence. Which of us would wish to be identified as one of ‘a bunch of amateurs’? Chances are we would far rather be recognised as ‘professional’ in our approach, professional being for much of the history of modern sport the widely despised antonym of ‘amateurrsquo;. These days, in sport as in ...
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