Thinking "Bioethically": Moving Beyond Critique at the Intersection of Biomedicine and the Sociology of Sport.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Thinking "Bioethically": Moving Beyond Critique at the Intersection of Biomedicine and the Sociology of Sport.
Authors: Esmonde, Katelyn1 (AUTHOR) kesmonde@uwo.ca, Posbergh, Anna2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Sociology of Sport Journal. Jun2026, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Problem solving, *Athletics, Bioethics, Critical analysis, Biology, Physical activity, Sports medicine, Sociocultural factors
Abstract: In the sociology of sport, there is a consensus that it is not just our job to analyze our sporting worlds but that we must also intervene in them. In this article, we make a case for how bioethics can serve as a tool in the toolkit that can strengthen one's analysis and commentary at the intersection of the sociology of sport and biomedicine. First, we provide a brief overview of some of the many key literatures in the field that have engaged with biomedicine. Second, we review several of the main lines of criticism of sport and exercise medicine and of physical activity promotion, noting the important insights that have been generated through these critiques. Building on our discussion of critique, we then describe what we see as four "concerning critical tendencies" related to biomedicine that have emerged in our field and their deeper implications. Third, as a way to dampen the impulse to engage in concerning critical tendencies, we lay out our vision for thinking "bioethically." Together, we argue that thinking bioethically provides an approach to scholarship that centers sociocultural context alongside empirical evidence, with a goal of bringing about actionable and pragmatic solutions to the problems that some in the field have long identified and critiqued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:In the sociology of sport, there is a consensus that it is not just our job to analyze our sporting worlds but that we must also intervene in them. In this article, we make a case for how bioethics can serve as a tool in the toolkit that can strengthen one's analysis and commentary at the intersection of the sociology of sport and biomedicine. First, we provide a brief overview of some of the many key literatures in the field that have engaged with biomedicine. Second, we review several of the main lines of criticism of sport and exercise medicine and of physical activity promotion, noting the important insights that have been generated through these critiques. Building on our discussion of critique, we then describe what we see as four "concerning critical tendencies" related to biomedicine that have emerged in our field and their deeper implications. Third, as a way to dampen the impulse to engage in concerning critical tendencies, we lay out our vision for thinking "bioethically." Together, we argue that thinking bioethically provides an approach to scholarship that centers sociocultural context alongside empirical evidence, with a goal of bringing about actionable and pragmatic solutions to the problems that some in the field have long identified and critiqued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:07411235
DOI:10.1123/ssj.2024-0252