Towards a sociological theory of sport and the emotions

a process-sociological perspective

Joe Maguire

pp. 96-120

in: Eric Dunning, Chris Rojek (eds), Sport and leisure in the civilizing process, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 1992

Abstract

Sociological explanations both of social life in general and of sport in particular have failed to take seriously the task of finding an analysis which integrates 'social structure", 'social relations' and the "emotions". There are a number of reasons why this should have been the case and these will be discussed in due course. But for now I am more concerned to spell out the value that a sociological theory of emotions can be to the study of social life, sport and leisure. Two main advantages spring to mind. The development of a sociological theory of emotions will arguably help to ensure that human beings are studied "in the round", capturing them as "whole selves' and not as isolated physiological or psychological units who happen to live their lives out in 'society" (Goudsblom et al., 1979). It will be argued here that there is an urgent need to study people "in their totality", be it in a 'sports setting" or, indeed, elsewhere. The idea of viewing people "in the round" stands in stark opposition to the dominant conception of 'sports-people" provided by the sports sciences, and indeed, by the mainstream of the disciplines on which that group of subjects draws (Maguire, 1991). It seeks to avoid decomplexifying human beings by eschewing both biological and/or psychological determinism. But in doing so, it does not intend to replace one form of determinism by another. Cultural determinism can be just as misleading in the problem under investigation.