Race relations, sociology of sport and the new politics of race and racism

This paper provides a review of some of the main currents of sociological thought which have informed a body of research in the area of sport and racism. It considers some of the main popular arguments about sport in discussions of race relations, black identity, and black feminism and argues against the notion of any one body of thought being viewed as a form of universalism. The examples that people use may change but the underlying processes and social and political problems reflect not just traditions of social thought but also many voices of anger and frustration in a world that is left wanting on so many fronts. The paper is critical of European intellectual constructions of racism which have often been applied in a devastating manner in the field of sport and leisure.