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  • © 2018

Sports and The Global South

Work, Play and Resistance In Sri Lanka

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Argues for the reimagining of the pleasure of sports in terms of transforming work and play
  • Explores authoritarian sports cultures and sports workers’ resistance of hierarchical sports cultures
  • Highlights the violence in both sports and market-driven development of sports consumer markets in the Global South

Part of the book series: Global Culture and Sport Series (GCS)

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
  2. Introduction

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 1-23
  3. The Spread of Sports Markets in the Global South

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 25-66
  4. Sports Workers in Workplaces and Communities

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 67-105
  5. Sports Revenues from Property Rights and Cities

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 107-136
  6. The Role of Media in Sports Consumption

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 137-178
  7. Development and Sports in Sri Lanka

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 179-217
  8. Authoritarian Sports Cultures and Sports Workers

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 219-258
  9. Changing Sports Through Resistance

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 259-298
  10. Conclusion: Sports as Play and the Sports Commons

    • S. Janaka Biyanwila
    Pages 299-319
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 321-375

About this book

This book reimagines the pleasures of sports and provides a critical perspective from the Global South. Analysing the spread of sports markets in Sri Lanka along with a range of struggles, the book highlights how the celebration of ‘sportive nationalism,’ promoting sports markets in the Global South reinforces patriarchal ethno-nationalist authoritarian sports cultures.

By explaining how the realm of social reproduction involving households and communities is integral for play and sports, the book challenges the market-driven ‘sports and development’ agenda while arguing for a ‘sports commons.’ By foregrounding issues of justice and care, the book highlights how struggles for recognition, redistribution and representation are central to reimagining sports within an alternative notion of work, play and resistance.

Reviews

“S. Janaka Biyanwila is to be congratulated on the extent and breadth of his research. His material on developments in the South and in Sri Lanka, in particular, make a valuable contribution to the growing literature on the divide between the myths and reality of sport as it spreads and intensifies its reach across the globe.” (Braham Dabscheck, The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Vol. 29 (04), December, 2018)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Randwick, Australia

    S. Janaka Biyanwila

About the author

S. Janaka Biyanwila is a former Olympic athlete, former Sri Lanka national diving champion, and a published author with a PhD in Organisational and Labour Studies from the University of Western Australia.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access