Eric Dunning is Emeritus Professor of sociology

Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

 at the University of Leicester

University of Leicester

The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....

, UK.

Career

Eric Dunning was a pioneer in the sociology of sport and the founder, with Patrick Murphy, of the Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research. He is the author of a number of books and articles on sport and the figurational sociology of Norbert Elias

Norbert Elias

Norbert Elias was a German sociologist of Jewish descent, who later became a British citizen.-Biography:...

. Although now officially retired, Dunning remains an Emeritus Professor of the University of Leicester as well as a Visiting Professor at the Chester Centre for Research into Sport and Society. Dunning is also a member of the editorial board of the Jornal de Ciências do Exercicio e Esporte, Paraná Federal University, Brazil.

Dunning has edited and co-authored numerous books in the sociology of sport. In 1999 he published his first sole-authored book, Sport Matters. In October 2000, he co-edited the comprehensive Handbook of Sports Studies with Jay Coakley. He has two forthcoming books on Anthony Giddens

Anthony Giddens

Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens is a British sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29...

(London/Routledge) and Norbert Elias (Cambridge/Polity).

Research interests

• sociological theory, especially the functional sociology and theory of civilizing processes of Norbert Elias and its place within the wider field of classical and modern sociology
• the sociology of sport and leisure
• problems of violence and civilization, especially sports-related violence such as football hooliganism
• the use of Elias's theory in understanding the Holocaust and genocide more generally

Representative Publications

• 'Sport Matters: Sociological Studies of Sport, Violence and Civilization'. (1999)
• 'Fighting Fans: Football Hooliganism as a World Phenomenon'.
• 'Norbert Elias: Sage Masters of Modern Social Thought'. (2003)
• 'Sport: Critical Concepts in Sociology'. (2003)
• 'The Roots of Football Hooliganism, an historical and sociological study'. (1988)