This book examines the social and regulatory impacts of concussion crisis discourses and explains how certain bodies are central within these narratives while others are pushed to the margins.
Concerns regarding brain injury in sport have escalated into what is often termed a “concussion crisis,” fuelled by high-profile lawsuits and deaths. Although athletes are central figures in this narrative, they comprise only a small proportion of the people who experience brain injuries, while other high-risk groups—including victims of domestic violence and police brutality—are all too often left out of the story.
In Violent impacts: how power and inequality shape the concussion crisis, Kathryn Henne and Matt Ventresca examine what is and what isn’t captured in popular discourse, scrutinising how law, science and social inequalities shape depictions and understandings of brain injury. Drawing on research carried out in Australia, Canada and the United States, they illustrate how structural violence centres certain bodies as part of the concussion crisis and pushes others to the margins.
Speakers:
Professor Kathryn (Kate) Henne is the Director of the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet). Her research is concerned with how science and technology contribute to the governance of health, public safety and social welfare. Her publications span diverse areas such as biomedicine, gender inclusion, emerging technologies, human well-being and regulatory science.
Professor Ruth Jeanes is a sociologist whose research interests focus on the use of sport and active recreation as a community development resource, particularly to address social exclusion amongst acutely marginalised groups. She is also Head of the School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education at Monash University.
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Image credit: 'Violent impacts: how power and inequality shape the concussion crisis’ book cover from University of California Press website.