Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilising Process Volume 7 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781904558439)

Elias effectively founded the modern sociology of sport in collaboration with Eric Dunning in the 1960s and 1970s. They argue that in highly constrained, 'civilised' societies, sports - as well as a spectrum of other cultural and leisure activities - are to be understood not in terms of 'relaxation' but rather of the need for pleasurable excitement and its pleasurable resolution.The topics range historically from the violence of the ancient Greek Olympic Games to foxhunting, early forms of football, and the question of why Britain proved to be the cradle of so many modern sports. And, today, what are the effects of achievement striving in elite sports? Why has spectator violence become such a problem? Why do so many sports retain the character of a 'male preserve'? Originally written in English, this volume has been thoroughly revised by Eric Dunning and includes one hitherto unpublished essay by Elias and a new essay by Dunning, bringing up to date his interpretation of football hooliganism.

Author: Norbert Elias
ISBN-10: 1904558437
ISBN-13: 9781904558439
Publisher: University College Dublin Press
Language: English
Published: 09/20/2008
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.55lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.10w x 1.40d