New Collaborations in Critical Sports Studies

Despite the fact that sports are ubiquitous in everyday life, both in the United States and around the world, surprisingly little critical scholarship takes global sport seriously as a site of inquiry. Instead, global sport is often viewed in academia as frivolous, or as a distraction from the so-called “real” issues faced by a society. Yet this dismissal is belied by the immense amount of cultural, political, and financial resources that are poured into global sport today. This crossdisciplinary research cluster examines global sport as a cultural phenomenon, worthy of the same kinds of critical attention as other forms of cultural production (e.g., music, film, language, art, media, etc.); indeed, the intersections of global sport with other cultural forms indicate the cultural importance placed on sport around the world and the fluidity with which sport moves in and through culture more broadly. 

Each quarter, the “New Collaborations” research cluster will be inviting scholars working in the field of critical sports studies to campus for public conversations with local athletes and practitioners, along with quarterly reading group discussions and networking sessions. For more information or to join the cluster, please contact Ron Krabill, Director of the Global Sport Lab, at rkrabill@uw.edu.