Welcome to seven seasons of the Social Side of Sport, where SPKN’s Meg Wilson joins renowned sport sociologist, Dr. Jay Coakley in discussions about the relationship between society and sport. Each episode provides a unique perspective as they delve into various socio-cultural structures, patterns, and organizations involved in and surrounding sport. They discuss the positive impact sports have on individual people and society as a whole economically, financially, and socially. The social side of sport provides a quick glimpse into the actions and behavior of sports teams and their players through the eyes of a sociologist.
Dr. Jay Coakley, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, has for forty years done research on connections between sports, culture, and society with much attention given to the play, games, and sport participation of young people. His Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies (11th edition) is the most widely used text in the world. Coakley is an internationally respected scholar, author, and journal editor and has received many professional awards. He continues his work to make sport participation a source of enjoyment and development for young people, and to make sports more democratic and humane for people of all ages. He now brings this expertise to a new video series, The Social Side of Sport. In each of the weekly episodes, Dr. Coakley brings to life Sport Knowledge that can sometimes be lost in the background. Learn how an understanding of Sport Sociology can provide new insight into bringing out the best in athletes and sport in itself.