Why Minorities Play Or Dont Play Soccer

Soccer, the most popular mass spectator sport in the world, has always remained a marker of identities of various sorts. Behind the façade of its obvious entertainment aspect, it has proved to be a perpetuating reflector of nationalism, ethnicity, community or communal identity, and cultural specificity. Naturally therefore, the game is a complex representative of minorities’ status especially in countries where minorities play a crucial role in political, social, cultural or economic life. The question is also important since in many nations success in sports like soccer has been used as an instrument for assimilation or to promote an alternative brand of nationalism. Thus, Jewish teams in pre-Second World War Europe were set up to promote the idea of a muscular Jewish identity. Similarly, in apartheid South Africa, soccer became the game of the black majority since it was excluded from the two principal games of the country – rugby and cricket. In India, on the other hand, the Muslim minorities under colonial rule appropriated soccer to assert their community-identity. The book examines why in certain countries, minorities chose to take up the sport while in others they backed away from participating in the game or, alternatively, set up their own leagues and practised self-exclusion. The book examines European countries like the Netherlands, England and France, the USA, Africa, Australia and the larger countries of Asia – particularly India. This book was previously published as a special issue of Soccer and Society.

The notion that Black people dont play soccer is obviously ludicrous, but misconceptions and stereotypes incorrectly label soccer as a predominately white suburban sport. People of African descent represent a growing percentage of the millions of Americas soccer players. However, soccers impact in the Black community lags far behind traditional American sports. The obvious question is why African-Americans view soccer so differently than Black people in other cultures and how it can change. The book discusses: The historical, economic and cultural reasons behind Black Americas apathy towards soccer; how media coverage and bias hinder soccers progress; the legacy of players of African descent who made soccer history; how grater participation by the Black community will benefit Major League Soccer and the US National Team, both economically and competitively

Includes abstracts of magazine articles and "Book reviews".

Documenting a black professor's account of his own professional experience, this study describes what it feels like to be a nonwhite academic in one of the "big three" disciplines in the humanities--English, history, and philosophy. Challenging the notion that today's Canadian universities have successfully addressed the issues of diversity, this argument warns that if professors of color cannot see academia as a liberal bastion, it can only be even more forbidding for students of color. Demonstrating how integration policies are manipulated when it comes to hiring visible minorities in the university, this reference highlights aspects such as merit that are commonly used to deny employment. Positing that institutions should deliver on their stated policies instead of hiding behind formalities, this emboldened examination will surprise those inside and outside of the academic field.

In virtually every sport in which they are given opportunity to compete, people of African descent dominate. East Africans own every distance running record. Professional sports in the Americas are dominated by men and women of West African descent. Why have blacks come to dominate sports? Are they somehow physically better? And why are we so uncomfortable when we discuss this? Drawing on the latest scientific research, journalist Jon Entine makes an irrefutable case for black athletic superiority. We learn how scientists have used numerous, bogus "scientific" methods to prove that blacks were either more or less superior physically, and how racist scientists have often equated physical prowess with intellectual deficiency. Entine recalls the long, hard road to integration, both on the field and in society. And he shows why it isn't just being black that matters—it makes a huge difference as to where in Africa your ancestors are from.Equal parts sports, science and examination of why this topic is so sensitive, Taboois a book that will spark national debate.

Examines the historical development of rugby in South Africa and various ideologies that have been and still are attached to it. Paying attention to the links between rugby and politics in the 20th century, the authors explore how rugby has at different times and places represented imperial connection, Afrikaner nationalism, Islamic masculinity, culture among the educated African elite, and for a brief time in 1995, a new pan-South African national identification. Distributed by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Power, Money and the Team that Reshaped Rugby How did one of the smallest nations in the world produce the jewel in world rugby's crown? In the professional age, the All Blacks have evolved to become rugby's most marketable asset and a blueprint for building high-performing teams. But as the All Blacks became commercialised, the tug-of-war between performance and making money has intensified. From the battle between Nike and Adidas for ownership of the black jersey to the newly minted deal with Silicon Valley private equity group Silver Lake, Black Gold reveals how the lure of monetising the brand has impacted the performance of the players and coaches. What sacrifices are being made to increase profit? And is the golden goose at risk of being overcooked? Black Gold is a gripping, revealing book about the inner workings of the All Blacks, the balance of power and what lies ahead for the world's best-known rugby team.