Routledge Handbook of Physical Cultural Studies

Physical cultural studies (PCS) is a dynamic and rapidly developing field of study. This handbook offers the first definitive account of the state of the art in PCS, showcasing the latest research and methodological approaches. It examines the boundaries, preoccupations, theories and politics of PCS, drawing on transdisciplinary expertise from areas as diverse as sport studies, sociology, history, cultural studies, performance studies and anthropology. Featuring chapters written by world-leading scholars, this handbook examines the most important themes and issues within PCS, exploring the active body through the lens of class, age, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, (dis)ability, medicine, religion, space and culture. Each chapter provides an overview of the state of knowledge in a particular subject area, while also considering possibilities for developing future research. Representing a landmark contribution to physical cultural studies and allied fields, the Routledge Handbook of Physical Cultural Studies is an essential text for any undergraduate or postgraduate course on physical culture, sports studies, leisure studies, the sociology of sport, the body, or sport and social theory.

"A useful starting point for discussion as to the nature of current thinking in [physical cultural studies] and some indications as to where the field may go ... Summing Up: Recommended" - S. H. M. Reekie, San Jose State University, CHOICE

Michael L. Silk is a Professor of Sport and Social Sciences and Founder and Director of the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC) at Bournemouth University, UK. His research is interdisciplinary and focuses on the relationships between sport, physical activity, the governance of bodies, mediated spectacles, identities and urban spaces. He has published over 100 research articles and has written numerous books including The Cultural Politics of Post-9/11 American Sport, Qualitative Research in Physical Culture, Sports Coaching Research, Sport and Neoliberalism, Sport and Corporate Nationalisms and Qualitative Research for Sports Studies.David L. Andrews is a Professor of Physical Cultural Studies at the University of Maryland, USA. His research examines physical culture as a complex empirical assemblage (including, but not restricted to, sport, fitness, exercise, recreation, leisure, wellness, dance and health-related movement practices). His publications include Sport–Commerce–Culture, The Blackwell Companion to Sport and Sport and Neoliberalism. He serves as the associate editor of the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, and on the editorial boards of the Sociology of Sport Journal, the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Communication and Sport and Leisure Studies. Holly Thorpe is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Development and Movement Studies at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Her research interests include action sports, youth culture, women's health and critical sport for development studies. Running throughout these topics is a focus on the moving body, social theory and feminist theory. She has published over 60 journal articles and is the author of Transnational Mobilities in Action Sport Cultures and Snowboarding Bodies in Theor