Speaker
Description
Background to the phenomenon: The sociocultural phenomena that are of interest to sociologists of sport are complex, but they do not manifest at random. However, to say that such events have clear ‘causes’ is similarly unsatisfying given our commitments to ontological and epistemological assumptions that often depart from the natural sciences and our commitment to social theories that emphasise the fluidity of social processes.
Justification: Because causation is a necessary and fundamental feature of the world with consequences for both the natural and social sciences it would be remiss not to unpack it further with a view to understand what it means for our field. Indeed, while debates about causation are resurfacing in the natural sciences, discussions about causation in the social sciences are largely absent.
Aim: In this theoretical paper, I aim to offer an introductory examination of causation as it relates to the social causes that produce phenomena relevant to sport, such as inequalities in participation, cultural norms and institutional powers. I attempt to illuminate how causation has been implicitly considered within the sociology of sport literature by highlighting whether, for example, causal powers have been located as residing in the dispositions of human individuals or social structures.
Implications: Such theoretical development has implications for how sociologists of sport conduct their work, including whether there is a need to pay greater attention to how causation is thought about in future.
