Studying Football

Football is the most widely played, watched and studied sport in the world. It’s hard to develop a full understanding of the significance of sport in global society without understanding the significance of football. This is the first book designed to support the study of football on degree-level courses, across the full range of social-scientific perspectives. Written by a team of leading international football experts, it introduces key themes in football studies such as history, media, politics, fandom, business, race, gender and celebrity. Every chapter includes up-to-date case study material and features to aid student understanding and bring theory to life.

Football is the most widely played, watched and studied sport in the world. It’s hard to develop a full understanding of the significance of sport in global society without understanding the significance of football. Studying Football is the first book designed specifically to guide and support the study of football on degree-level courses, across the full range of social-scientific perspectives.

Written by a team of leading international football experts, and considering themes of globalization, corporatization and prejudice and discrimination throughout, it introduces key topics in football studies, including:

• media and celebrity
• identity, fandom and consumption
• gender
• violence
• racism
• corruption

Every chapter includes up-to-date case study material, a ‘Research in Action’ section and features to aid student understanding and bring theory to life. Studying Football introduces all the key themes and facets of the social-scientific study of football, and is therefore an essential text for students on football studies courses and useful reading for any undergraduates studying the sociology of sport more generally.