The social impact of sport

This book examines the ways in which sports contribute to, or inhibit, social well-being, the directions these changes take and the conditions necessary for sport to have beneficial outcomes. The themes addressed in the book demonstrate the diversity and versatility of the social impacts sport can potentially achieve as well as the variable benefits of sport in different social contexts. The contributions are focused around four major themes: – Sport development and social change: intended and unanticipated consequences – Empowerment and personal change through sport – Sport participation, social inclusion and social change – The impact of sport in society: historical and comparative perspectives The volume constitutes the first scholarly attempt to locate, compare and conceptualize the social impact of sport in different local, national and international contexts.