Socio-Cultural Studies

Introduction

The Socio-Cultural Studies Group focuses on the social dimensions of sport, physical education, exercise, and dance.  Collectively the group undertakes interdisciplinary research that offers a critical analysis of the role of sport and physical activity in society. Drawing upon theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, pedagogy, cultural and media studies the group is currently examining some of the following issues:

  • the link between physical activity and obesity
  • youth understanding of physical activity and health
  • the history and politics of the Olympic Games
  • government sport policy
  • the impact of globalisation on New Zealand sport
  • national identity and sport
  • the relationship between sport, alcohol and masculinity
  • media representations of gender, race and sexuality in sport, exercise and dance?
  • indigenous cultures and sport and physical activity
  • cultural impact of extreme and risk Sports
  • the coaching process
  • body cultures
  • dance and society
  • violence and Sport: does sport contribute to violence?

Group Members

Key publications

Books

Andrews, D. and Jackson, S. (eds) (2001). Sport Stars: The Politics of Sporting Celebrity. U.K.: Routledge Publishers.

Booth, D. (1998). The Race Game: Sport and Politics in South Africa (London, Frank Cass, 1998). Winner, North American Society for Sport History, 1998 Book Award

Booth, D. (2005). The Field: Truth and Fiction in Sport History (London, Routledge, 2005). Winner, North American Society for Sport History, 2005 Book Award.

Cassidy, T., Jones, R., & Potrac, P. (2004). Understanding Sports Coaching: The social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of sports practice. London: Routledge-Falmer.

Wenner, L. and Jackson, S. J. (2009). Sport, Beer, and Gender: Promotional Culture and Contemporary Social Life. Zurich: Peter Lang Publishers.

Coakley, J., Hallinan, C., Jackson, S. and Mewett, P. (2008). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.

Jackson, S. J. and Haigh, S. (eds) (2008). Sport and Foreign Policy in a Globalising World. London: Routledge

Hallinan, C. and Jackson, S. (eds). (2008). Social and Cultural Diversity in a Sporting World. London: Emerald.

Collins, C. and Jackson, S. (eds) (2007). Sport in Aotearoa/New Zealand Society. Melbourne: Thomson-Nelson.

Jackson, S. and Andrews, D. (eds) (2005). Sport, Culture and Advertising: Identities, Commodities and the Politics of Representation. London: Routledge.

Kolb, A. (2008, forthcoming) Performing Femininity: Cross-Currents of Dance and Literature in German Modernism in the book series “Cultural History & Literary Imagination” (Oxford: Lang)

Ross, B. & Burrows, L. (2003) (eds.). It Takes Two Feet: Teaching physical and health education in Aotearoa. Palmerston North: Dunmore.

Wright, J., MacDonald, D. & Burrows, L. (2004) (Eds), Critical Inquiry and Problem Solving in Physical Education. London: Routledge.

Selected journal articles

Booth, D. (2005). Evidence Revisited: Interpreting Historical Materials in Sport History Rethinking History, 9 (4) 464-487.

Booth, D. (2003). Hitting Apartheid For Six: The Politics of the Sports Boycott, Journal of Contemporary History, 38 (3), 477-493.

Burrows, L. & Wright (2007) Prescribing practices: Shaping healthy children in schools International Journal of Children’s Rights, 15, 83-98

Burrows, L. & Wright, J. (2004). The good life: New Zealand children’s perspectives of health and self. Sport, Education and Society, 9 (2), 193-205.

Cassidy, T. & Rossi, T. (2006). Situating learning: (Re)examining the notion of apprenticeship in coach education. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. 1(3), 235-245.

Cassidy, T., Potrac, P., & McKenzie, A (2006). Evaluating and reflecting upon a coach education initiative: The CoDe1 of Rugby. The Sport Psychologist, 20(2) 145-161.

Falcous, M. (2007). The Decolonising National Imaginary: Promotional Media Constructions during the 2005 Lions Tour of Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Sport and Social Issues. 41 (3), 374-393.

Falcous, M. (2007). Rugby League in the National Imaginary of New Zealand Aotearoa. Sport in History. 27 (3), 423-446.

Piggin, J., Jackson, S. and M. Lewis (2009). Telling the Truth in Public Policy: An Analysis of New Zealand Sport Policy Discourse, Sociology of Sport Journal, 26 (3), 462–482.

Piggin, J., Jackson, S. and Lewis, M. (2009). Knowledge, Power and Politics: Contesting ‘evidenced-based’ national sport policy. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 44 (1) 87-101.

Jackson, S. J.  (2008). Sport, Media and Culture: Implications for American Studies of Physical Education: PHSE 424," Australasian Journal of American Studies, 27, (1),  95-103.

Jackson, S. J. and Haigh, S. (2008). Between and Beyond Politics:Sport and Foreign Policy in a Globalising World. Special Issue of Sport in Society, 11 (4), 349-358.

Scherer, J. and Jackson, S. (2008). Producing Allblacks.com: Cultural intermediaries and the policing of electronic sporting consumption. Sociology of Sport Journal, 25, 187-2005.

Scherer, J. and Jackson, S. (2008). Cultural Studies and the Circuit of Culture: Advertising, Promotional Culture and the New Zealand All Blacks. Cultural Studies/Critical Methodologies, 8 (4), 507-526.

Jackson, S. (2004). Exorcising the Ghost: Donovan Bailey, Ben Johnson and the Politics of Canadian Identity. Media, Culture and Society, 26 (1), 121-141, 2004.

Jackson, S. and Hokowhitu, B. (2002). Sport, Tribes and Technology: The New Zealand All Blacks Haka and the Politics of Identity, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 26 (1), 125-139, 2002.

Kolb, A. (2008, in press). The never-ending trembling and vomiting of the soul”. Carl Sternheim’s Critique of the Modern Dance Movement. Discourses in Dance 4/2

Kolb, A. (2007). There was never anythin’ like this!!!” Valeska Gert’s Performances in the Context of Weimar Culture, The European Legacy 12/3, pp. 293-309

Sam, M. P., & Scherer, J. (2006). The steering group as policy advice instrument: A case of 'consultocracy' in stadium deliberations. Policy Sciences, 39(2), 169-181.

Sam, M. P., & Jackson, S. J. (2006). Developing national sport policy through consultation: The rules of engagement. Journal of Sport Management, 20(3), 365-384.

Sam, M. P. (2005). The makers of sport policy: A Task(Force) to be Reckoned With. Sociology of Sport Journal, 21, 78-99.

Shaw, S. (2007). Touching the intangible? An analysis of ‘The Equality Standard: A framework for sport'. Equal Opportunities International, 26,(5), 420-434.

Shaw, S., & Frisby, W. (2006). Can gender equity be more equitable? Promoting an Alternative Frame for Sport Management Research, Education, and Practice. Journal of Sport Management, 20, 4¸483-509.

Grants and Consultations

Lisette Burrows; Social Science and Humanities Research Council Grant’ 2003-2006 ($210,446) Canadian youths’ constructions of health and fitness (with University of Ottawa, Memorial University of Newfoundland and University of Wollongong).

  • Lisette Burrows; University of Otago Research Grant: The impact of new health imperatives in primary Schools.
  • Lisette Burrows; Australian Research Council (ARC) linkage grant “Obesity imperatives in schools.
  • Lisette Burrows; New Zealand Ministry of Education Project “Children's constructions of health and Fitness”
  • Lisette Burrows; University of Wollongong International Committee Linkage Grant “Bio-pedagogies”
  • Steve Jackson; International Council for Canadian Studies Faculty Research Program Grant, Globalisation, Corporate Nationalism & Sport: A comparative analysis of Canada and New Zealand
  • Steve Jackson; New Zealand Rugby Football Union Research Grant. “Globalisation and Sport Migration: The Experiences of New Zealand Rugby Players in Japan”.
  • Steve Jackson; University of Otago Research Grant, “Globalisation, Corporate Nationalism and Sport”.
  • Alexandra Kolb; Cambridge European Trust
  • Steve Jackson; ISAT (International Science and Technology) Research Grant “Globalisation, Violence & Advertising: A comparative study of New Zealand and Germany”.
  •  Alexandra Kolb; University of Otago Research Grant. “The Expression of Political Ideas in Dance”
  • Steve Jackson; Fulbright Award: Globalisation, Corporate nationalism and New Zealand identity” (University of Maryland).

Consultancy

  • Consultants to SPARC for the “Value of Sport” Project
  • Ministry of Education contracts for ‘writing’, ‘reviewing’ and ‘revising’ curriculum policy, commentary and resources
  • External reviewers for national and international university programmes e.g. Bachelor of Physical Education, University of Auckland, Bachelor of Physical Education, University of Wollongong; University of Canterbury
  • Board members of Physical Education New Zealand and Editorial Board members of journals such as SSJ, SES, PENZ
  • Sit on advisory committees for groups like the National Education Monitoring Project, and New Zealand Curriculum Reference Group
  • Reviewer for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Research Grants

Editorial Board Membership

  • Sociology of Sport Journal
  • International Review for the Sociology of Sport
  • Sport in Society
  • Sport, Education and Society
  • International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing
  • International Journal of Sport Policy
  • Physical Education New Zealand
  • The Open Communication Journal
  • Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise

Institutional Links

  • The University of Toronto
  • The University of Maryland
  • The University of Alberta
  • Loughborough University
  • Victoria University, Melbourne
  • Seoul National University
  • University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
  • School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland 
  • The International Centre for Sport History and Culture, De Montfort University
  • University of Ottawa
  • University of Wollongong
University of Otago The School of Physical Education - Te Kura Akoraka Whakakori