Sport and Play in American Life has helped thousands of readers explore the world of sport in America from sociological, psychological, historical, and economic perspectives.  In this third edition, Stephen Figler (Ph.D.)  and Gail Whitaker (Ph.D.) include an exciting new chapter on a topic of increasing importance in sport today:  role-modeling and hero-worship of athletes.  With readable contemporary coverage and proven pedagogical features, this text gives the most interesting comprehensive view available of play, sport, and athletics in America.  Including:

• The Development of Play and Sport in North America
• The Social Functions of Sport
• Social Unrest in Sport
• Sport as an Agency of Socialization
• Competition and the American Value System
• A Naturalistic View of Deviance in Sport
• Kids’ versus Adults’ Needs in Youth Sports
• Pros and Cons of Youth Sports
• Exchange or Exploitation in School-based Sports
• Economics and Law:  The Other Side of Sport
• Sport and Aging
• Aggression and Violence in Sport
• Sport as a Tool of Politics
• Racism and Social Mobility in Sport
• Sex-Role Socialization through Sport
• Heroes, Myth, and Media