Customer Reviews

Boxing and Society: An International Analysis (Sport, Society & Politics)

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I met John Sugden in 1997 whilst he was guest lecturing at De Montfort University on FIFA and ethnographic research methods. John is a sport sociologist at the University of Brighton. His three case studies of boxing gyms were conducted during his stays at the University of Hartford, Belfast, and Cuba.

His comparative ethnographic approach to these case studies reveals that boxing clubs are sanctuaries for inner city youth. Almost as if these boxers were Shaolin monks, the drug dealers and gangs have an unwritten code in their conduct toward boxers that allows boxers to concentrate on their craft. In addition to insights on boxing and prize-fighting are revelatory examples of Sudgen's participant observation research techniques, which call to mind the likes of Jack D. Douglas and perhaps Elliot Liebow.

Students of Anthropology and Sociology should find this volume to be very useful to conducting their own field research, as well as providing a sound example of writing up results. An intriguing book on a neglected sport topic, this book will be useful to all who are writing a thesis or dissertation based on social research.

This book was recently (1998) recognized by the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport as the best book of the year.