Esa 2013 – session cfp: ‘Sport and religion/spirituality’

Dear colleagues, the forthcoming ESA conference in Turin 2013 includes a session on ‘Sport and religion/spirituality’; for abstract submissions, see session 07JS28JS34 at:
http://esa11thconference.eu/call-for-papers/research-networks/RN280

The session is jointly organized together with the RN.7 ‘Sociology of culture’ and RN34 ‘Sociology of Religion’.
Extended submission deadline: 15th February 2013

We would be glad if you consider to submit a paper and attend the session (engagements and travel distances permitting), as well as advertise the call among the colleagues who might be interested.

Here below is the session call :
Sport and religion/spirituality
Whereas the analogy between sport and religion has been criticized by many scholars mainly because of the lack (or low relevance) of the transcendent dimension in traditional sport practices, the recent sociological elaborations of the concept of spirituality seems to provide new interesting tools for interpreting the emerging forms of bodily movement. At the same time, the study of the analogies between traditional sports and institutionalized religions still generates relevant sociological insights. In order to contribute to these streams of analysis and to open new horizons for further studies, the ESA research networks ‘Sociology of Culture’, ‘Society and Sports’, and ‘Sociology of Religion’, invite potential contributors to submit abstracts to the joint session on ‘Sport and religion/spirituality’. The session will thus provide a forum for exchange and sharing among sociologists of culture, sport and religion, who deal with these themes from different but overlapping perspectives.

Convenors: Davide Sterchele, Stef Aupers, Hubert Knoblauch
Should you need further information, don’t hesitate to contact us at:
D.Sterchele@leedsmet.ac.uk or davide.sterchele@unipd.it
All the very best,
Davide Sterchele