Cultural Sport Psychology

Abstract

Cultural issues have become a significant aspect of the sport psychology field. As clinicians develop their practice to include more diverse athletes and sport psychologists expand to work in multicultural settings, Cultural Sport Psychology will prove to be a beneficial reference for the field. It is the first full text to focus entirely on cultural awareness, and its timeliness will spark increased discussion, reflection, and research of cultural considerations in sport psychology practice. Cultural Sport Psychology offers researchers, practitioners, and consultants an excellent starting point for future research and practice. With contributions from a diverse group of established and aspiring experts in sport psychology, the text offers a complete and authoritative look at this developing field. The first two sections of the book will help readers understand the background of cultural sport psychology and how and why it should be studied. Concepts and theories shaping cultural sport psychology are identified and explored, and general guidelines are provided for practitioners to employ a cultural sport psychology approach. Part III of the text offers rich and varied approaches to the practice of cultural sport psychology. Within this extensive 12-chapter section, contributors offer their firsthand experiences working with athletes in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, and the United States. Some contributors offer a national perspective, focus on the influence of religion, or discuss cultural communities within a country and how to work effectively in relation to each. Others focus on cultural communities outside the mainstream, such as specific minority groups within the United States, Canada, and Australia. Case studies, advice, and suggestions in each chapter assist practitioners in engaging in multicultural exchanges within their sport psychology consulting sessions. Each chapter concludes with final suggestions or reflections based on the authors’ experiences. Cultural Sport Psychology focuses on important cultural factors such as religion, gender, personal space, and social structure. These factors and many others are laden with cultural assumptions that may contribute—positively or negatively—to athletic performance and an athlete's well-being. As the first compilation on the topic of multicultural considerations in sport psychology, Cultural Sport Psychology assists practitioners in creating strategies relative to the culture and context of their clients. This text is certain to stimulate ongoing discourse and encourage increased focus on effective cultural sport psychology practice.

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