Description
Sport as anomic activity
Book Summary
This monograph applies criminological knowledge to the study of habitual infractions in a sporting context. Based on the theories of anomie and frustration, the author analyzes how the excessive valuation of success in competition can lead athletes to transgress the rules. Through rigorous statistical analysis, the work offers empirical evidence that validates these theories as an explanatory framework for illicit conduct in sport, opening a new avenue of research in applied criminology.
What is it about?
The book addresses the paradox of competitive sport: a field governed by rules where, nevertheless, infringement is frequent. To explain this, the author moves away from the simplistic idea of anomie as "absence of norms" and approaches Merton's proposal, which defines it as a cultural situation where results or success are excessively emphasized, regardless of the legality of the means employed.
The research identifies the causes and causal mechanisms that lead athletes to infringe upon regulations. To do this, it employs rigorous analytical strategies such as linear regression, structural equation modeling, factor analysis, and bootstrap resampling techniques. The result is a study that demonstrates the utility of criminology, and in particular, the theories of anomie and frustration, to understand and explain the most frequent illicit behaviors in sports competition.
Main Topics
- Criminology applied to sport
- Theories of anomie and frustration (Durkheim, Merton)
- Deviant behavior and infractions in sports competition
- Relationship between pressure for success and non-compliance with rules
- Quantitative research methodology in social sciences
- Empirical validation of criminological theoretical models
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at criminologists, sociologists, legal scholars, and sports law professionals interested in the theoretical and empirical foundations of deviance in sport. It is also of great value to researchers and graduate students seeking an applied example of rigorous quantitative methodology in social sciences, as well as to sports managers and policy makers who wish to understand the root causes of the lack of fair play.
What this book contributes
- A solid and updated theoretical framework for explaining sports infractions from the perspective of criminology.
- Empirical evidence that validates the theories of anomie and frustration in a novel field like sport.
- A detailed and replicable research methodology with advanced statistical techniques.
- An interdisciplinary perspective that connects law, sociology, and criminology with sports practice.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Teijón Alcalá, Marco
- Publisher: J.M. BOSCH EDITOR
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: CRIME AND CRIMINOLOGY, SPORTS LAW
- Collection: COLECCION PENAL J.M. BOSCH EDITOR
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: January 2021
- Number of pages: 264
- Weight: 500 g
Editorial Review
This work represents an original and necessary contribution to the criminological study of sport, a field still little explored. Its main value lies in the solidity of its theoretical approach, based on classical theories of anomie, and in the rigor of its empirical testing using modern statistical techniques. For the specialized reader, it offers a replicable research model and conclusions that invite us to rethink the dynamics of pressure and success in competition. It is, without a doubt, a reference reading for those who seek scientific foundations beyond mere opinion regarding ethics and deviance in sport.