Full Description
Iceland is a tiny Nordic nation with a population of just 330,000 and no professional sports leagues, and yet its soccer, basketball and handball teams have all qualified for major international tournaments in recent years. This fascinating study argues that team sport success is culturally produced and that in order to understand collective achievement we have to consider the socio-cultural context.
Based on unparalleled access to key personnel, including top coaches, athletes and administrators, the book explores Icelandic cultural capital as a factor in sporting success, from traditions of workmanship, competitive play and teamwork to international labour migration and knowledge transfer. The first book to focus specifically on the socio-cultural aspects of a small nation's international sporting success, this is an original and illuminating contribution to the study of the sociology of sport.
Sport in Iceland: How small nations achieve international success is fascinating reading for team sport enthusiasts, coaches, managers and organisers, as well as for any student or scholar with an interest in the sociology of sport, strategic sports development, sports policy or sports administration.
Contents
Preface: "The general within the particular" Part I: Setting the Scene 1. Introduction: "Small" teams and "big" results 2. From Nature and Nurture, to Culture: Theoretical basis and methods 3. Sport in Iceland: History, culture and organization Part II: How Icelandic Sports Progressed 4. Building the Infrastructure: Towards professionalism 5. New Conditions, New Generations, New heights Part III: How Icelanders Play Sport 6. The Icelandic "Madness": Winning the character contest 7. Teamwork: Playing your own game Part IV: How Culture Affects Sport 8. The Value of Play 9. The Advantages of Small Populations Part V: How It All Comes Together 10. Conclusion Appendix
