Games, Sports and Cultures

An inclination to view games and sport as ephemeral, non-serious, and inconsequential has served to discourage the distinctive contribution that anthropology might make to the study of sport, as well as the rich insights that a fuller appreciation of sport might furnish to anthropology. This book brings a distinctively anthropological

Describes sports and games that were played from the 5th through 15th centuries in areas such as Africa, Asia, India, the Middle East, the Americas, Oceania, and Europe, and includes suggestions on how to adapt many of the games to modern use.

Explores the relationship between biology and culture within the realms of sports, games and other forms of human competition, delving into the innate motivations behind these activities.

What can sport do to produce social change in our world today? It is impossible to fully understand contemporary society and culture without acknowledging the importance of sport. Sport is part of our social and cultural fabric, possessing a commercial power that makes it a potent force in the world,

Thousands of children participate in community sports every year, enjoying recreation time with their peers, getting healthy exercise, and learning a variety of personal and group skills. At the same time, children's sports are not without controversy: parents can be overly invested in their children's exploits, competitive success is often