This edition uses an issues-oriented approach to study the role of sport in today's society. It discusses current sports-related controversies and includes new material comparing the sociology and psychology of distinguishing the two related disciplines. The book features expanded coverage of critical and feminist theory with the aim of giving a more complete background of viewpoints used in the sociology of sports research. Chapters on sports and socialization look at the experience and consequence of sport involvement and cover concepts of power and performance sports versus pleasure and participation with examples of research dealing with socialization issues.