Sport and physical activity in catastrophic environments / Edited by Jack Black and Jim Cherrington.

"This book considers the ability of individuals and communities to maintain healthy relationships with their surroundings - before, during and after catastrophic events - through physical activity and sporting practices. Broad and ambitious in scope, the book uses sport and physical activity as a lens through which to examine our catastrophic societies and spaces. Acknowledging that catastrophes are complex, overlapping phenomena in need of sophisticated, interdisciplinary solutions, the book explores the social, economic, ecological and moral injustices that determine the personal and emotional impact of catastrophe. By presenting international case studies such as youth sport programs in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda and with former child soldiers in Africa; through examining the risks of cultural and environmental degradation inherent in extractive industries-funded sport, recreation, and cultural activities in northern Canada, and with a structure that critically considers various manifestations of 'the end' ('The End of Capitalism'; 'The End of the Social'; 'The End of Nature'; 'The End of Morality'), the book uniquely explores the different landscapes and contexts of catastrophe as well as the affective qualities of sporting practices. Featuring the work of ex-professional athletes, artists, anthropologists, sociologists, political ecologists, community development workers, and philosophers, across activities such as skateboarding, walking, mountain biking, basketball and urban exploration, the book offers new perspectives on themes including capitalism, nature, sociality, morality and identity. This is fascinating reading for academics and practitioners in the areas of sociology, disaster studies, sport-for-development, and political ecology"-- Provided by publisher.