On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, one of the leading Finnish scholars of the sociology of sport, Pasi Koski, uses Sorokin's concept of N+1 to conceptualize the challenges and needs of the field. Koski reflects on the great potential of sociology to understand the cultural structures and dynamics of power by moving beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. In considering the sociology of sport in Finland, Koski notes two interlocking roles, as provider of information for administration, and as a critical voice or barking dog to express caution and facilitate responsive action. It is noted that the social status and key challenge of the sociology of sport in Finland depends on how its research results are made available and impact administration of sport. A related challenge for sociologists of sport is that the identity and facade of the field remains relatively shapeless, a matter that could be remedied by shifting the agenda so that research could be used as a pathway to address larger societal questions. In the future, it is advocated that an N+1 ideal drive multidisciplinary engagement that bridges common schisms in micro, meso, and macro level inquiry about sport and physical culture.
