Labour, leisure and sport in cultural perspective

Sport and leisure activities have significance beyond the outcome of a part icular contest. Athletes can be understood as workers, even as they engage in what we typically see as play. An analysis of sport and leisure can also contribute to a greater understanding of labour, race, class and gender re lationships in the larger world. The cultural phenomena that exist at the n exus of leisure, sports and labour also has a rich and complex history that is intertwined with the history of communities and nation states. The cont ributors to this issue have re-focused the lens of historical inquiry on sp ort, leisure and labour to reveal larger cultural phenomena.