Official Journal of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport
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Print ISSN: 0741-1235
Online ISSN: 1543-2785
2023 Impact Factor: 2.0
2023 CiteScore: 3.0
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Congratulations to the winner of the 2024 SSJ Article of the Year Award: "Indigenous Youth (Non)Participation in Euro-Canadian Sport: Applying Theories of Refusal" by Jessica R. Nachman, Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst, Audrey R. Giles, Rochelle Stewart-Withers, and Daniel A. Henhawk. Read the winning article below!
The Sociology of Sport Journal is celebrating 40 years of publishing by revisiting our top-10 articles for each decade. We've invited emerging scholars to comment on the continuted significance of these articles and what has changed in the time since they were published. All of the articles are permanently free to read. We hope you enjoy seeing SSJ's history and will look to the future of the sociology of sport with us.
By Michael A. Messner. 1988. Sociology of Sport Journal, 5(3), 197–211.
By Peter Donnelly and Kevin Young. 1988. Sociology of Sport Journal, 5(3), 223–240.
By Pierre Bourdieu. 1988. Sociology of Sport Journal, 5(2), 153–161.
By Rolf Carlson. 1988. Sociology of Sport Journal, 5(3), 241–256.
By Margaret Carlisle Duncan and Cynthia A. Hasbrook. 1988. Sociology of Sport Journal, 5(1), 1–21.
By Brenda Jo Bredemeier and David L. Shields. 1984. Sociology of Sport Journal, 1(4), 348–357.
By Susan Birrell. 1989. Sociology of Sport Journal, 6(3), 212–227.
By Alan G. Ingham. 1985. Sociology of Sport Journal, 2(1), 43–55.
By Brenda Jo Bredemeier, Maureen R. Weiss, David L. Shields, and Bruce A.B. Cooper. 1987. Sociology of Sport Journal, 4(1), 48–60.
By Nancy Theberge and Alan Cronk. 1986. Sociology of Sport Journal, 3(3), 195–203.
By Robert Hughes and Jay Coakley. 1991. Sociology of Sport Journal, 8(4), 307–325.
By Pirkko Markula. 1995. Sociology of Sport Journal, 12(4), 424–453.
By Jay Coakley. 1992. Sociology of Sport Journal, 9(3), 271–285.
By Kevin Young, Philip White, and William McTeer. 1994. Sociology of Sport Journal, 11(2), 175–194.
By Timothy Jon Curry. 1991. Sociology of Sport Journal, 8(2), 119–135.
By Margaret Carlisle Duncan. 1990. Sociology of Sport Journal, 7(1), 22–43.
By Howard L. Nixon II. 1993. Sociology of Sport Journal, 10(2), 183–196.
By Becky Beal. 1995. Sociology of Sport Journal, 12(3), 252–267.
By Jay Coakley and Anita White. 1992. Sociology of Sport Journal, 9(1), 20–35.
By Walter Gantz and Lawrence A. Wenner. 1995. Sociology of Sport Journal, 12(1), 56–74.
By Andrew C. Sparkes. 2000. Sociology of Sport Journal, 17(1), 21–43.
By Christopher Cushion and Robyn L. Jones. 2006. Sociology of Sport Journal, 23(2), 142–161.
By Laurel Richardson. 2000. Sociology of Sport Journal, 17(1), 5–20.
By Pirkko Markula. 2003. Sociology of Sport Journal, 20(2), 87–107.
By Katharine W. Jones. 2008. Sociology of Sport Journal, 25(4), 516–537.
By Mette Krogh Christensen. 2009. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26(3), 365–382.
By Holly Thorpe. 2009. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26(4), 491–516.
By Belinda Wheaton. 2000. Sociology of Sport Journal, 17(3), 254–274.
By Richard Pringle and Pirkko Markula. 2005. Sociology of Sport Journal, 22(4), 472–497.
By Douglas Hartmann. 2000. Sociology of Sport Journal, 17(3), 229–253.
By Simon C. Darnell. 2010. Sociology of Sport Journal, 27(1), 54–75
By Leanne Norman. 2010. Sociology of Sport Journal, 27(1), 89–104
By Cheryl Cooky, Faye L. Wachs, Michael Messner, and Shari L. Dworkin. 2010. Sociology of Sport Journal, 27(2), 139–159
By Natalie Barker-Ruchti and Richard Tinning. 2010. Sociology of Sport Journal, 27(3), 229–250
By Michael L. Silk and David L. Andrews. 2011. Sociology of Sport Journal, 28(1), 4–35
By Michael D. Giardina and Joshua I. Newman. 2011. Sociology of Sport Journal, 28(1), 36–63
By Michael Messner. 2011. Sociology of Sport Journal, 28(2), 151–170
By Daniel Burdsey. 2011. Sociology of Sport Journal, 28(3), 261–283
By Geneviève Rail. 2012. Sociology of Sport Journal, 29(2), 227–253
By Brett Smith. 2013. Sociology of Sport Journal, 30(2), 132–152
Published four times a year (March, June, September, December), the Sociology of Sport Journal (SSJ) publishes original research, framed by social theory, on exercise, sport, physical culture, and the (physically active) body. Analyses from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives are encouraged to stimulate further research, critical thought, and theory development on topics ranging in broad scope from global professional sport, coaching, commercial exercise/fitness, and recreational physical activity. The journal publishes an array of peer-reviewed research articles, research notes, and book reviews. Members of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) receive SSJ as part of their membership.
The purpose of the Sociology of Sport Journal is to stimulate and communicate research, critical thought, and theory development on issues pertaining to the sociology of sport. The journal publishes peer-reviewed empirical and theoretical papers; book reviews; and critical essays. Analyses of sport and physical culture from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives are encouraged. Submissions concerned with sport and physical culture as related to race, class, gender, sexuality, popular media, political economy, globalization, technology, and youth culture are especially welcome.
Cheryl Cooky, PhD
Purdue University, USA
ccooky@purdue.edu
Jay Coakley (Founding Editor: 1984–1989)
Peter Donnelly (1990–1994)
Cynthia Hasbrook (1995–1998)
Christopher Stevenson (1999–2001)
Nancy Theberge (2002–2004)
Annelies Knoppers (2005–2008)
Pirkko Markula (2009–2011)
Michael Atkinson (2012–2014)
Michael D. Giardina (2015–2020)
Andrea Bundon
University of British Columbia, Canada
Joseph Cooper
University of Massachusetts-Boston, USA
Audrey Giles
University of Ottawa, Canada
Shannon Jette
University of Maryland, USA
Brad Millington
Brock University, Canada
Cheryl Cooky
Purdue University, USA
Sine Agergaard, Aalborg University, Denmark
Adam Ali, Western University, Canada
Kristi Allain, St. Thomas University, Canada
Shaonta’ Allen, Dartmouth, USA
Daniel Anorve, Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico
Dunja Antunovic, University of Minnesota, USA
Jules Boykoff, Pacific University, USA
Scott Brooks, Arizona State University, USA
Tarlan Chahardovali, University of South Carolina, USA
Jim Cherrington, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Yeomi Choi, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Roxane Coche, University of Florida, USA
Chris Corr, Clemson University, USA
Sayvon Foster, University of Kansas, USA
Kirsten Hextrum, Oregon State University, USA
Lauren Hindman, Hofstra University, USA
Ajhanai Keaton, University of Louisville, USA
Yannick Kluch, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Chris Knoester, Ohio State University, USA
Judy Liao, University of Alberta, Canada
Alex Manning, Yale University, USA
Chris McLeod, University of Florida, USA
Mitch McSweeney, University of Minnesota, USA
Rob Millington, Brock University, Canada
Mark Norman, St. Francis Xavier University
Moss Norman, University of British Columbia, Canada
Ezinne Ofoegbu, Santa Clara University, USA
Vincent Peña, DePaul University, USA
Stacey Pope, Durham University, UK
Anna Posbergh, Florida State University, USA
Ben Powis, Bournemouth University, UK
Tatiana Ryba, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Daniel Sailofsky, University of Toronto, Canada
Bárbara Schausteck de Almeida, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
Rochelle Stewart-Withers, Massey University, New Zealand
Courtney Szto, Queens University, Canada
Minhyeok Tak, Loughborough University, UK
Sarah Teetzel, University of Manitoba, Canada
Nicola de Martini Ugolotti, Bournemouth University, UK
Anthony Weems, Coastal Carolina University, USA
Meredith Whitley, Adelphi University, USA
Grace Yan, University of South Carolina, USA
Human Kinetics Staff
Tammy Miller, Senior Journals Managing Editor
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The Sociology of Sport Journal (SSJ) publishes theoretical and empirical work, framed by social theory, on exercise, sport, and the (physically active) body. Papers submitted to this journal should not be published elsewhere. If an author uses the same data in previously submitted work, then the author should describe in a cover letter how the current paper is significantly different from other submissions or articles. Submissions should not be under consideration for any other publication at the same time.
The editorial staff for SSJ consists of the editor, two associate editors, and the past editor. Each paper is initially reviewed by the editor. If its content is deemed to be congruent with the mission of SSJ, the paper will be assigned to one of the editorial staff who will then send it to referees for anonymous peer review. The review process usually takes 10 weeks. The editor will decide, based on the reviewers’ and associate editor's recommendations, whether the paper should be accepted as is, revised, or rejected. Manuscripts will be evaluated in terms of relevance to the sociocultural studies of sport and physical activity, theoretical contribution, methodological appropriateness, clarity and thoroughness of data analysis, and presentation of results and discussion/conclusion.
All manuscripts must be preceded by an abstract of 75–125 words typed on a separate page. Manuscripts should be double-spaced including the abstract, block quotations, endnotes, references, and tables. The length of submitted Articles should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words, references and endnotes included. Articles that are longer might be returned to the authors for shortening. Research Notes should be succinct presentations of contemporary and important sociological issues in sport and physical culture. Research Notes may present preliminary analyses and/or exploratory findings, methodological considerations for data collection and analysis, and/or development of a theoretical point or model. The empirical findings and/or theoretical developments must be explained and documented concisely between 3,000 and 4,000 words, references and endnotes included.
For both Articles and Research Notes, authors should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2020) guidelines for journal article style. Endnotes should be limited in number (all important information should be included in the text of the article).
Because an anonymous review process is used to evaluate manuscripts, all clues to the identity of the author must be eliminated throughout the manuscript. Make sure that all references to the author and to other publications by the author are referenced as “author” and not by name. The reference list should not include these references. The first page of the manuscript should not include author names or affiliations, but it should include the title of the paper and the date of submission.
All art must be professionally prepared, with clean, crisp lines, and be camera-ready; freehand or typewritten lettering will not be accepted. If photos are used, they should be black and white, clear, and show good contrast. Each figure and photo must be properly identified. In graphs, use black and white only, no shading or color. Keep labels proportionate with the size of the figures on the journal page. Digital images should be 300 dpi at full size for photos and 600 dpi for line art. Format tables in the table function of your word-processing program rather than aligning columns in text with tabs and spaces or using text boxes. See our figure guidelines resource for additional information.
The Sociology of Sport Journal is committed to publishing reviews of recent books that contribute to the sociology of sport or related fields. In most cases, reviews will be solicited by the Book Review Editor. Scholars who are interested in reviewing for the journal should contact the Book Review Editor to indicate their areas of expertise. The interim editor is Dr. Cheryl Cooky (ccooky@purdue.edu).
Book review authors should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2020) guidelines for journal article style. Endnotes should be limited in number (all important information should be included in the text of the article). Avoid footnotes. Keep references to a minimum. Check for the correct spelling of proper names. Check quotations for accuracy and make sure to provide page numbers for quotes. Reviews should be approximately 1,500 to 1,800 words. The text, including quotes and bibliographic information, should be double-spaced.
Bibliographic information for the book should be placed at the top of the review in the following format:
Title By Author(s). Publisher, year of publication, location of publisher.
Reviewed by: Reviewer, institutional affiliation, location.
For example:
Body Panic: Gender, Health and the Selling of Fitness By Shari Dworkin and Faye Wachs. New York University Press, 2009, New York, NY.
Reviewed by: Cheryl Cooky, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
A good review provides description and analysis and attempts to situate a book in a larger context. You should describe the author’s central argument, intent, or goal and the author’s approach to the subject. Please avoid a chapter-by-chapter listing of themes. You might want to contextualize the text by situating it in relationship to the author’s previous works, to debates in the broader culture, or to relevant literature. Your analysis of the book could include a discussion of what makes it unique, its strengths and weaknesses, the implications of its arguments, and/or its relationship to other texts. You could also comment on the book’s potential impact on the field or on a specific area of study, theoretical approach, or methodology. Illustrate your points with examples from the text. First-time reviewers are encouraged to read reviews that have appeared in past issues of the journal.
The submission of a review confirms that the review has not and will not appear elsewhere in published form. Book reviews will be received and edited by the Book Review Editor. Reviewers should note that the solicitation of a book review or the submission of an unsolicited review does not guarantee publication in the Sociology of Sport Journal. Reviewers may be asked by the Book Review Editor to revise their reviews. The Book Review Editor makes recommendations for acceptance of reviews to the Editor of the journal. The Editor makes all final decisions about what will appear in the journal.
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By Jessica R. Nachman, Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst, Audrey R. Giles, Rochelle Stewart-Withers, and Daniel A. Henhawk
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