Sport Sociology is a legitimate area of study and inquiry. Laker (2001, p. 8) maintains that ôàsport provides a common ground, a safe arena for interactionàbecause sport is a constant in the cultural milieu.ö The definition of sport derives from its Latin roots, de(s)sporter, meaning ôàto amuse oneself,ö (Mechikoff, & Estes, 1998, p. 1). Sport sociology is enjoying increasing popularity as sport remains a constant of culture and society, while often influencing society and culture as much as society and culture influence sport. The history and philosophy of sport demonstrates how social institutions often change when ideologies that guide values, norms, and behaviors in society change. Many critics argue that sport sociology research is too abstract, too theoretical, and too far removed from the interests of practitioners, but Laker (2001, p. 18) argues that ôàthe problem with research and teaching in sport is not that it is too abstract, too conceptual, but rather that it is not theoretical enough.ö
Sport sociologists often study play, games, and sport, but there are distinct differences among them. Play is a critical concept in the philosophy of sport, mainly because the concept of play is evident in all cultures throughout history and is basically a fundamental aspect of being human. Play provides a basic function to human existence. In his seminal studies on play, John Huizinga cultivated the hypothesis that play is precultural and permeates all aspects of human existence, for play ôàdefines the nature of being human and the nature of culture,ö (Mechikoff, & Estes, 1998, p. 3). In contrast to play, the concept of games represents a more purposeful exertion on behalf of humans. Games are more organized and exhibit both implicit and explicit rules of behavior and conduct. Mechikoff and Estes (1998, p. 4) define play as an activity that has ôàexplicit rules, specified or understood goalsàthe element of op...