BU Research Blog

Political Studies Association: Sport and Politics Conference 2016

Conference theme: Social Justice

Sport, Politics and Social Justice

The Department of Sport and Physical Activity are pleased to be hosting this years PSA Sport Special Interest Groiup Conference on the 4th and 5th March at the Executive Business Centre.

This is the 10th anniversary of this academic group and the conference has gradually grown to become an international event with papers being presented by academics from the USA, Turkey, Poland, Hong Kong and the UK.

The conference will aim to unpack and interrogate some of the ideas concerning Sport, as a cultural form par excellence, its inherent political nature, andwhat can only be described as an ambiguous relationship with social justice. Governments and international sports organisations often cite the commonly held precepts of social justice – fairness and/or entitlement – as key aspects and determinants of political bargaining and policymaking concerning sport.

Some might claim that it is the supposed virtue of justice that sits at the heart of sport that gives it such special value manifest in the use of sport in initiatives such as crime prevention, community development and health promotion.

Others might argue that within a wider cultural politics, sport can be understood as an insidious site through which various discourses are appropriated and mobilised in regard to the organisation and discipline of daily life and, from this perspective, that sport may do very little to champion an orientation towards social justice, equality and inclusion.

The Sport, Politics and Social Justice Conference 2016 will provide a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary examination of these issues and more. The conference will explore the inter-relationship between sport, politics and social justice by drawing on research from a variety of academic fields, including: politics, political science, sociology, social policy, political philosophy, criminology, community and youth work, history, law, geography, and sport studies.

If you are interested and would like to attend please contact the conference Chair Andrew Adams +