Description

Book Synopsis
History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity, Second Edition With HKPropel Access, seamlessly blends the historical and philosophical dimensions of the study of human movement. The text follows a chronology of human movement from our origins as hunter-gatherers to the present, offering philosophical and ethical analyses alongside explorations of cultural shifts that have emerged from different ethnic, racial, gender, and national traditions.

The second edition of History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity is ideal for instructors who teach history and philosophy in a single course. Each chapter provides a historical scaffolding that leads into philosophical discussions about the issues raised. The text eschews dense blocks of text in favor of accessible writing and an interactive student experience.

Updates to the latest edition include expanded coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics; a deeper exploration of epistemology; a discussion of alternate forms of physical activity; and new material about the ethics of research. Contemporary topics of discussion such as the Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) movement, athlete biodata collection, and transgender and nonbinary athletes in sport are thoroughly explored.

Discussion questions and study questions at the end of each chapter challenge students to reflect on the course material and share their ideas. Historical profile sidebars throughout the chapters allow students to gain greater insight into historical figures and events. Throughout the text, students are prompted to access related online activities in HKPropel. These short exercises connect philosophical inquiry to historical events and modern-day issues and serve as important tools for improving students’ reasoning skills. Instructors are supported with a comprehensive instructor guide that includes sample responses to the downloadable student exercises, section references for the downloadable study questions, and sample discussion and assignment prompts related to the discussion questions. The instructor guide also includes ideas and instructions for semester-long student projects.

History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity, Second Edition, presents a thorough integration of philosophy and history, capitalizing on the strengths of both disciplines.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.

Table of Contents
Introduction: History, Philosophy, and Kinesiology
The Evolution of Kinesiology
The Humanities and the Sciences
The Nature of History and Philosophy
The Subject Matter of Kinesiology

Chapter 1. Bodies, Brains, and Cultures
Making Sense of Our Story
Developing a Brief Chronology of Our Story
Great Leaps Forward
Patterns of Culture in Hunter-Forager Societies
The Origins of Sport
The Complexities of Work and Play in Hunting and Foraging Societies

Chapter 2. The Transition From Super Endurance Predators to Farmers
A Revolution in How We Lived
The Impact of the Neolithic Revolution on Human Vigor and Health
Physical Activity as a Tool and as a Jewel
The Difficulties of Interpreting Ancient Sporting Cultures
A Model of Traditional Sport

Chapter 3. Ancient Greece and the Shape of Modern Sport and Physical Education
The Foundation of Western Civilization
Myth, Religion, and the Origins of Greek Physical Culture
The Birth of Philosophy
The Ancient Sporting Festivals
The Olympic Games
Greek Sporting Culture
Sources of Evidence for Ancient Greek Sport
Greek Recreation and Physical Education

Chapter 4. Continuity and Change in Physical Cultures
Monuments to Sporting Spectacles
Comparing Mesoamerican and Roman Spectacles of Blood
Opposition to Gladiatorial Contests
The Ethics of Brutality in Sport
Contrast and Continuity
The Enduring Martial Traditions
Religious and Intellectual Opposition to Martial Sports
Similarities and Differences Between Eastern and Western Sport
Global Continuities and Contrasts

Chapter 5. The Expansion of the West and the Birth of the Modern World
The Birth of the “Modern World”
The Renaissance, Neoclassical Revivals of Sport, and the “Nature of Man”
The Emergence of “Modern” Debates on Human Nature
The Protestant Reformation and Sport, Physical Education, and the Body
The Scientific Revolution and Modern Attitudes Toward Sport, Physical Education, and the Body

Chapter 6. Great Britain and the Birth of Modern Sport
Sport as a Critical Modern Institution
The Rationalization of Ethics Under Utilitarianism
Rationalization and Gambling
Games for the Common Folk
The Rationalization of Fair Play

Chapter 7. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
The Emergence of Modern Sport
Liberty, Equality, and Morality
The Role of Fraternity in Modern Sport
Fraternity, Partisanship, and Spectatorship
Fraternity, Partisanship, and Commercialism

Chapter 8. Games and Empires
The Paradoxical Power of Sport
Conquest, Colonialism, and the Spread of Western Sport
Sport in Its Best Light
The Subaltern Dilemma
Sport as a Revolutionary Force
Sport, Colonialism, and American Imperialism

Chapter 9. The Rise of International Sportsworlds
Reviving the Olympic Games
Olympic Growing Pains
Social Exclusion and Other Harsh Realities of the Early Olympics
The Globalization of Modern Sport
Sport in Black and White and Technicolor
The Ethics of Commercialism

Chapter 10. The West and the Rest
Traditional and Indigenous Sport in an Age of Modernity
Western Appropriations of Eastern Muses
The Effectiveness of Folk Psychology and Folk Medicine
Encounters With the “Other”
Holistic Kinesiology
The Emergence of Countercultural Movement Practices

Chapter 11. The Golden Age of Modern Sport
Phenomenology
Cold War Sport
Modern Science and Sport
The Ethics of Performance Enhancement
Breaking Gender Barriers
Beyond the Gender Binary
The Cold War and the Politics of Race in American Sport
The Global Dimensions of Race and Sport
Sport in Living Color

Chapter 12. Snapshots From Our Times
Do Global Connections Create Global Identities?
Global Consumer Culture
The Emergence of New Global Forms

History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical

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    £84.80

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    RRP £106.00 – you save £21.20 (20%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Mon 6 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by R. Scott Kretchmar, Mark Dyreson, Matt Llewellyn

    10 in stock

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      View other formats and editions of History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical by R. Scott Kretchmar

      Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers
      Publication Date: 26/07/2023
      ISBN13: 9781718212947, 978-1718212947
      ISBN10: 1718212941

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity, Second Edition With HKPropel Access, seamlessly blends the historical and philosophical dimensions of the study of human movement. The text follows a chronology of human movement from our origins as hunter-gatherers to the present, offering philosophical and ethical analyses alongside explorations of cultural shifts that have emerged from different ethnic, racial, gender, and national traditions.

      The second edition of History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity is ideal for instructors who teach history and philosophy in a single course. Each chapter provides a historical scaffolding that leads into philosophical discussions about the issues raised. The text eschews dense blocks of text in favor of accessible writing and an interactive student experience.

      Updates to the latest edition include expanded coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics; a deeper exploration of epistemology; a discussion of alternate forms of physical activity; and new material about the ethics of research. Contemporary topics of discussion such as the Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) movement, athlete biodata collection, and transgender and nonbinary athletes in sport are thoroughly explored.

      Discussion questions and study questions at the end of each chapter challenge students to reflect on the course material and share their ideas. Historical profile sidebars throughout the chapters allow students to gain greater insight into historical figures and events. Throughout the text, students are prompted to access related online activities in HKPropel. These short exercises connect philosophical inquiry to historical events and modern-day issues and serve as important tools for improving students’ reasoning skills. Instructors are supported with a comprehensive instructor guide that includes sample responses to the downloadable student exercises, section references for the downloadable study questions, and sample discussion and assignment prompts related to the discussion questions. The instructor guide also includes ideas and instructions for semester-long student projects.

      History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Activity, Second Edition, presents a thorough integration of philosophy and history, capitalizing on the strengths of both disciplines.

      Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.

      Table of Contents
      Introduction: History, Philosophy, and Kinesiology
      The Evolution of Kinesiology
      The Humanities and the Sciences
      The Nature of History and Philosophy
      The Subject Matter of Kinesiology

      Chapter 1. Bodies, Brains, and Cultures
      Making Sense of Our Story
      Developing a Brief Chronology of Our Story
      Great Leaps Forward
      Patterns of Culture in Hunter-Forager Societies
      The Origins of Sport
      The Complexities of Work and Play in Hunting and Foraging Societies

      Chapter 2. The Transition From Super Endurance Predators to Farmers
      A Revolution in How We Lived
      The Impact of the Neolithic Revolution on Human Vigor and Health
      Physical Activity as a Tool and as a Jewel
      The Difficulties of Interpreting Ancient Sporting Cultures
      A Model of Traditional Sport

      Chapter 3. Ancient Greece and the Shape of Modern Sport and Physical Education
      The Foundation of Western Civilization
      Myth, Religion, and the Origins of Greek Physical Culture
      The Birth of Philosophy
      The Ancient Sporting Festivals
      The Olympic Games
      Greek Sporting Culture
      Sources of Evidence for Ancient Greek Sport
      Greek Recreation and Physical Education

      Chapter 4. Continuity and Change in Physical Cultures
      Monuments to Sporting Spectacles
      Comparing Mesoamerican and Roman Spectacles of Blood
      Opposition to Gladiatorial Contests
      The Ethics of Brutality in Sport
      Contrast and Continuity
      The Enduring Martial Traditions
      Religious and Intellectual Opposition to Martial Sports
      Similarities and Differences Between Eastern and Western Sport
      Global Continuities and Contrasts

      Chapter 5. The Expansion of the West and the Birth of the Modern World
      The Birth of the “Modern World”
      The Renaissance, Neoclassical Revivals of Sport, and the “Nature of Man”
      The Emergence of “Modern” Debates on Human Nature
      The Protestant Reformation and Sport, Physical Education, and the Body
      The Scientific Revolution and Modern Attitudes Toward Sport, Physical Education, and the Body

      Chapter 6. Great Britain and the Birth of Modern Sport
      Sport as a Critical Modern Institution
      The Rationalization of Ethics Under Utilitarianism
      Rationalization and Gambling
      Games for the Common Folk
      The Rationalization of Fair Play

      Chapter 7. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
      The Emergence of Modern Sport
      Liberty, Equality, and Morality
      The Role of Fraternity in Modern Sport
      Fraternity, Partisanship, and Spectatorship
      Fraternity, Partisanship, and Commercialism

      Chapter 8. Games and Empires
      The Paradoxical Power of Sport
      Conquest, Colonialism, and the Spread of Western Sport
      Sport in Its Best Light
      The Subaltern Dilemma
      Sport as a Revolutionary Force
      Sport, Colonialism, and American Imperialism

      Chapter 9. The Rise of International Sportsworlds
      Reviving the Olympic Games
      Olympic Growing Pains
      Social Exclusion and Other Harsh Realities of the Early Olympics
      The Globalization of Modern Sport
      Sport in Black and White and Technicolor
      The Ethics of Commercialism

      Chapter 10. The West and the Rest
      Traditional and Indigenous Sport in an Age of Modernity
      Western Appropriations of Eastern Muses
      The Effectiveness of Folk Psychology and Folk Medicine
      Encounters With the “Other”
      Holistic Kinesiology
      The Emergence of Countercultural Movement Practices

      Chapter 11. The Golden Age of Modern Sport
      Phenomenology
      Cold War Sport
      Modern Science and Sport
      The Ethics of Performance Enhancement
      Breaking Gender Barriers
      Beyond the Gender Binary
      The Cold War and the Politics of Race in American Sport
      The Global Dimensions of Race and Sport
      Sport in Living Color

      Chapter 12. Snapshots From Our Times
      Do Global Connections Create Global Identities?
      Global Consumer Culture
      The Emergence of New Global Forms

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