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This open textbook for Sociology of Sport was developed under a Round 18 Transformation Grant. Ancillary resources include videos and PowerPoint slide decks.

People worldwide have always engaged in playful physical activities and incorporated human movement into their rituals and everyday lives. Our lives are embodied in that our experiences are lived through our bodies. In fact, “the physical” is an important part of all cultures. Play and countless physical games have been key components of family and community life from ancient times to the present.

Play and games were initially tied to religious beliefs, but they were gradually secularized between the 17th and 20th centuries. With industrialization, democratization, and the movement of large numbers of people into major cities, play and sports were viewed in more rational terms. That is, how could they be used to make social life more orderly and satisfying? This led them to be linked with socialization and social control. Organized games and sports were created to fit emerging social and cultural conditions, and they began to replace more traditional forms of free play and recreation.

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