Editorial: Diversity and Inclusion in International Young Adult Sports Fiction

In lieu of an abstract: In many cultures, sport is an all-encompassing aspect of society and deeply intertwined with socio-politics. As Joli Sandoz notes, “meanings we ascribe to sport practices grow from historically and socially constructed understandings. These reflect power-related imbalances coalesced around class, race, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual preference, and gender” (32). While sports are frequently also considered as ‘the great equalizer’, with sociologist Pierre Bourdieu postulating that “a sporting career … represents one of the few paths of upward mobility” (832–33), such an idealised vision of the beloved pastime – whether as active participant or spectator – often falls short when examined through the lenses of not only class but also age, gender, race, sexuality, ability, religion, and intersections of identity markers. Specifically for athletes outside a hegemonic masculine and normative ideal, and with little economic means, systemic oppression oftentimes creates and sustains barriers to sports, resulting in a lack of “resources, opportunities, and prestige” (Ware vi).