Cultural Sport Psychology

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.

Robert Schinke, EdD, is an associate professor of sport psychology in the School of Human Kinetics at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, where he teaches cultural sport studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a coach and a Canadian Sport Psychology Association certified practitioner, Schinke has extensive experience working with national teams and professional athletes of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Schinke has authored more than 100 academic and applied articles in publications, including The Sport Psychologist, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, International Journal of Sport Psychology, Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, and the Journal of Sport Science and Medicine. His research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. In addition, Schinke serves as editor of Athletic Insight.

A former Canadian equestrian team member and Pan American Games medalist, Schinke still enjoys equestrian pursuits in addition to hiking and cross-country running. He and his wife, Erin, reside in Sudbury.

Stephanie Hanrahan, PhD, is an associate professor in the Schools of Human Movement Studies and Psychology and the director of the sport and exercise psychology program at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. As an author and researcher, Hanrahan has obtained 15 grants and published five books, 17 book chapters, and over 80 articles. She also serves as editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

Hanrahan is a fellow of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation and a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Australian Psychological Society, Sports Medicine Australia, and the International Society of Sport Psychology. As a registered psychologist, she has worked with individuals and teams from all levels of sport (both with and without disabilities), Aboriginal performing artists, Mexican orphans, and teenagers living in poverty.

Hanrahan resides in Queensland and enjoys traveling within Australia and abroad.

“Sport psychologists have always been aware of cross-cultural issues during interventions, but little has been written about these important issues. This book helps fill this void.”
Dan Smith, PhD
Instructional Dean, Cerritos College

“This would be a fine acquisition for anyone working in the field of sport psychology, especially for those who have interactions with athletes from different countries. Moreover, even those who work exclusively with athletes in the United States will find these concepts useful because of the diversity of our population.”
-- Doody's Book Review