This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by White, P. Articles by Wilson, B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

DISTINCTIONS IN THE STANDS

An Investigation of Bourdieu's `Habitus', Socioeconomic Status and Sport Spectatorship in Canada

McMaster University, Canada

Brian Wilson

McMaster University, Canada

In this article a study of sport spectatorship in Canada is presented, along with an argument for reconsidering the employment of quantitative methodology in the critical study of social inequalities in sport. Both Bourdieu's theoretical position on class distinction and sport and his methodological approach (the statistical analysis of survey data) are adopted in this study. Our multivariate analysis of the 1992 General Social Survey of Canada (n=9815) afforded controlled tests of hypotheses on the effects of income and education on both amateur and professional sport spectatorship. The findings showed, in general, positive relationships between socioeconomic status and attendance at both professional and amateur events. The effects of income and education work independently, however, and differ according to gender and whether spectatorship was at professional or amateur events. An ancillary set of findings showed that residents of western Canada spectate more at amateur sport than those in eastern Canada. Building on Bourdieu's findings that there is a class-based distribution of leisure preference in France, it was concluded that there are clear socioeconomic and regional imbalances in sport spectatorship in Canada, although further research is needed to more fully disentangle the effects of economic and cultural factors.

Key Words: Canada • habitus • social class • spectators

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 34, No. 3, 245-264 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/101269099034003002


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Giulianotti The Sociability of Sport: Scotland Football Supporters as Interpreted through the Sociology of Georg Simmel International Review for the Sociology of Sport, September 1, 2005; 40(3): 289 - 306. [Abstract] [PDF]

				I. Mehus Distinction through Sport Consumption: Spectators of Soccer, Basketball, and Ski-jumping International Review for the Sociology of Sport, September 1, 2005; 40(3): 321 - 333. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. C. Wilson The Paradox of Social Class and Sports Involvement: The Roles of Cultural and Economic Capital International Review for the Sociology of Sport, March 1, 2002; 37(1): 5 - 16. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Thrane SPORT SPECTATORSHIP IN SCANDINAVIA: A Class Phenomenon? International Review for the Sociology of Sport, June 1, 2001; 36(2): 149 - 163. [Abstract] [PDF]