Sport in social context by Kalevi Heinilä : commemorative book in honour of professor Kalevi Heinilä

Abstract

This is a collection of papers written by Professor Kalevi Heinilä. This book has been published in appreciation of his valuable contribution as a national and international pioneer, teacher and researcher to the sociology of sport. Professor Heinilä was the eminent first holder of the Chair in the Sociology of Sport at the Department of Social Sciences of Sport, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The volume contains a selection of papers published in scientific journals, or given at international conferences, by Professor Heinilä from 1972 to 1987. Some of the papers have previously been published in monograph collections. The topics include e.g: Sociology of sport ; Sport in society - Ethics of sport ; Sport and international understanding ; Meaning content of sport ; Key roles in sport. The book will give the reader an excellent idea of the writer's ability to see, and critically evaluate, the social character of sport and its subdisciplines. Because the messages in the papers are not tied to their contemporary period they can also be used to interpret the present and future developments in the physical culture. The book offers as a basic introduction to the most essential topics in the sociology of sport to all institutions which teach and study physical education as a social movement. The book will also be of interest for everyone who wants to fathom sport below the surface. Professor Heinilä himself characterizes the book as follows: "Sport, once solely conceptualized within an idealistic framework which highlighted its positive contributions to human welfare, has more recently been shown to embody a range of both positive and negative values and consequences. The power of sport to contribute to both conflict and cooperations is pointedly reflected in this collection of papers."