Triangulation of Social Research in Sociology of Sport

Abstract

　This article aims to examine the types of social research used in the sociology of sport from the perspective of triangulation. I reviewed 74 articles published in the Japan Journal of Sport Sociology issued in 2000 or later and discussed the future outlook of research in the sociology of sport based on the social research on exercise and sports practice from the viewpoint of lifelong sport. Articles in the Japan Journal of Sport Sociology since 2000 have focused on contemporary thought, cultural studies, and historical analysis. The most commonly used method was literature research(43.2%), followed by interview research(36.5%) and document analysis(20.3%). Qualitative research has been continuously used since 2000. Particularly in the last five years, fieldwork and participant observation often tend to be combined with an interview survey, while a questionnaire survey has not been used since Goto’s 2010 article. Nationwide social research on exercise and sports practice was carried out several times in Japan, as a result of which an overview of exercise and sports and leisure has been becoming clear. Showing change in survey results over time, the data obtained from the research is valuable. However, incorporating the data in a qualitative survey, such as unsymbolized events, as survey items may make it possible to find people alienated from today’s system for practicing lifelong sport.