Assessing the sociology of sport: On sport organizations and critical knowledge

On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, a key scholar in the development of the sociology of sport in continental Europe, Fabien Ohl, reflects on Francophone traditions in the development of the field. Considered first is the emergence and recognition of the sociology of sport within Francophone traditions in sociology on one hand and the need to lean' on the sport sciences on the other. The challenges for the sociology of sport are considered in light of the central tendencies in the life and sport sciences and on the optimization of sporting performance; here it is noted that the sociology of sport must, by necessity, work to keep a place within the sport sciences. The close of the essay considers strategies for advancing external legitimacy for the sociology of sport by gaining recognition of its value within the sport sciences and in sport management; here gaining access to sport organizations and showing the value of a sociological lens' are deemed essential.