Race, Sport and Politics

This is the first book-length study that addresses sport's role in “the making of race”, the place of sport within black diasporic struggles for freedom and equality, and the contested location of sport in relation to the politics of recognition within contemporary western multicultural societies. “Race, Sport and Politics” shows that over the past century sport has occupied a dominant position within western culture in producing ideas of racial difference and alterity while providing a powerful and public modality for forms of black cultural resistance. Written by one of the leading international authorities on the sociology of race and sport, the book centrally locates sport within the cultural politics of the black diaspora and will be of relevance to students and scholars in fields such as the sociology of culture and sport, the sociology of race and diaspora studies, postcolonial theory, cultural theory and cultural studies.
Publisher's website: http://www.sagepub.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book226689& 

“From tennis to soccer, basketball to boxing, football to golf, the visibility of black athletes within global popular culture is beyond dispute. Rejecting the view that the level playing field of sport provides compelling evidence that we have moved beyond the racial inequalities of the past, ‘Race, Sport and Politics’ suggests instead that sport has long constituted an important site of struggle for racist and anti-racist projects alike, and that ideas about the ‘the black athlete’ persist as central to contemporary racial politics. In this intellectual tour-de-force, Carrington navigates the troubling contradictions of race and sport, helping us see that when we forgo blind celebration of the exploits of black athletes we might see new paths for racial progress."
- Patricia Hill Collins, Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland
“Ben Carrington's book makes a striking contribution to a critical understanding of the troubled relationship between sport and 'race'. In creating a rare discursive space from which 'the black athlete' can speak beyond the usual clichés, and challenging insidious essentialisms that aspire to be progressive, he demonstrates convincingly the deep influence of sport on contemporary racialized meanings and ideologies”
- David Rowe, Centre for Cultural Research (CCR), University of Western Sydney
 
“Despite the growth in scholarship on sport and culture in the last two decades, issues of race have received far less attention than is warranted. Ben Carrington's book ‘Race Sport and Politics’ offers a valuable addition to the field. It is a fresh, lively and stimulating discussion that should constitute a key starting point for all lecturers, students and general readers with an interest in sport and culture”
-Garry Whannel, Centre for International Media Analysis, Research and Consultancy (CIMARC), University of Bedfordshire