Joseph N Cooper
Biographic Data
| ID | 4105945 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Joseph N Cooper |
| GIVEN NAMES | Joseph N |
| FAMILY NAME | Cooper |
| SIGNATURE | COOPER J N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Connecticut |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1738-8729 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 78 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Black Sporting Resistance
In recent years, there has been increased attention towards activism in sporting spaces. A vast majority of these contributions have focused on intra-nation tensions and impact. Yet, there is a dearth of scholarship that has engaged in a theoretically grounded analysis of how Black sportspersons have exhibited resistance in and through sport across national borders across time, space, and context. In this text, Joseph N. Cooper introduces the Bla…
The coloniality of power
The Black College Athletes’ Burden
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine racialized differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes’ involvement in civic engagement, activism, and racial justice efforts during and post summer of 2020. The summer of 2020 was a period of widespread civil unrest regarding the prevalence of anti-Black racism and social injustice in the United States. International protests ensued, including several athletes across all levels of…
A new paradigm for sport education programs
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the implications of the current ideological underpinnings of sport education programs (SEPs) in the United States (U.S.) and present a new equity-minded and anti-ism sport education (EASE) framework that reflects a paradigm shift towards equity-mindedness, anti-ism, cultural responsiveness, inclusive excellence, and transformational leadership. The sport industry has transformed from modest recreationa…
A Critical Examination of Race and Antiracism in the Sport for Development Field
We welcome you to this special issue of the Sociology of Sport Journal which was envisioned as an opportunity to reimagine and recreate sporting spaces for true racial inclusion and equity.We developed the special issue because of what we saw as an absence of a specific and sustained focus on race and racism in Sport for Development (SfD) as well as an antiracist approach to research and analysis of SfD.This was driven, in part, by the ways in wh…
Athletes and activism, and the NBA
This research study took an in-depth look at how the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its athletes influenced voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election. The NBA worked with athletes and communities to create a space for Black voters to cast their ballot in a safe and efficient manner in the 2020 presidential election. Value Added Theory (VAT) assisted in understanding how events in 2020 surrounding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) mov…
A Different World
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have made notable social, cultural, and economic contributions to the African Diaspora, particularly since their inception in the United States. Being that HBCU athletic programs account for a small proportion of the intercollegiate athletic industry, these unique entities are often examined in the same vein as their Historically White Institution counterparts without a full account of the inte…
Allyship as activism
As the world is racing to find a cure to save lives and economies amidst a global pandemic, COVID-19 has inadvertently caused a shift of focus towards the inequities and injustices plaguing society economically, politically, and socially. In response, athletes, coaches, managers, and other change agents with institutional power in sport organisations across the globe have begun to utilise their platforms to champion social justice generally, and …
A Call for Culturally Responsive Transformational Leadership in College Sport
A longstanding fact in college sports in the United States (U.S.) is the reality that inequities, inequalities, and discrimination have been major issues preventing institutions from fostering harmonious diversity and inclusion. Several reasons for these persistent outcomes include the prevalence of implicit bias, homologous reproduction, hegemonic, and toxic masculinity/patriarchy, colorblind racism, and abstract liberalism to name a few. In add…
They Think You Should Be Able to Do It All
The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of Black women college athletes at a Division I historically White institution (HWI) to understand their role negotiation processes. There is a need to explore the experiences of Black women college athletes in Olympic sports along with their same race peers in high-profile sports to ensure the professed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mission is being fulfil…
Overcoming the odds
Purpose Black and Latino males face challenges to college-going that may alter their decision to attend college. However, many Black and Latino males have successfully enrolled and matriculated through college. This study aims to explore the precollege factors that influenced the college enrollment and persistence for first generation Black and Latino male collegians ( N = 5) at a predominantly white institution located in the Northeastern area o…
High School Football and the Athletic-Market Economy
There are two cultural narratives often purported within the American sports cultures of basketball and football. First, those participating within these sports are African American athletes from poor communities lacking educational and economic opportunities. Second, the meritocratic myth perpetuating American society feeds the notion no matter where an individual is from their talent will elevate them to the next level. There have already been …
Race and resistance
Historically, sport has been viewed as an apolitical space where organizers, managers, coaches, spectators, and sponsors expected athletes to focus solely on their performance and adhere to functionalist origins of the activity, including physical fitness benefits, character building, teamwork, and social entertainment. Despite these various positive attributes, the institution of sport does not operate in isolation from broader society. Instead,…
Collective uplift
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a holistic development support program at Division I historically White institution (HWI) on Black male former college athletes’ pre- and post-graduation experiences and outcomes. Previous research has documented the myriad of challenges facing Black male college athletes at Division I HWIs including exposure to exploitive athletic sub-cultures, stigmatizing campus climates, and a general lac…
Strategic navigation
The purpose of this study was to examine and contrast the experiences of Black male scholar athletes at a Division I historically Black college/university (HBCU) and historically White university (HWU) and identify key contributors to their positive transitional experiences (academic, athletic, and social) in college. Two focus groups, 8 individual interviews, and an eight-item demographic questionnaire were conducted with 12 Black male scholar a…
Not So Black and White
The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and quality of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male student-athletes’ college experiences across race, sport, and divisional classifications. In recent years, the NCAA and its member institutions have faced intense scrutiny regarding the purpose of intercollegiate athletics within their educational missions. Additional concerns have been levied at the NCAA for persistent academic…
The value of qualitative approaches in the examination of Black male student athletes
The purpose of this paper is to describe the value added by qualitative research methods in the examination of Black male student athletes' experiences and campus climates at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the United States. A comprehensive review of the sport and higher education literature was conducted to identify exemplar qualitative studies. In an effort to address epistemologic…
Understanding Black Male Student Athletes’ Experiences at a Historically Black College/University
The purpose of this article is to describe how a mixed methods approach was employed to acquire a better understanding of Black male student athletes’ experiences at a historically Black college/university in the southeastern United States. A concurrent triangulation design was incorporated to allow different data sources to be collected and analyzed simultaneously to identify areas of convergence. Quantitative findings served as complementary da…
An anti-deficit perspective on black male student athletes’ educational experiences at a historically black college/university
The purpose of this study was to identify key institutional characteristics and practices at a historically black college/university (HBCU) that contributed to positive educational experiences for black male student athletes. This mixed methods exploratory study involved the use of a 79-item Student Athlete College Experiences Questionnaire (SACEQ), three focus group interviews, and four individual interviews. Participants in this study included …
The impact of baseball participation on the educational experiences of black student-athletes at historically black colleges and universities
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of baseball participation on the educational experiences of black student-athletes at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeastern United States (US). HBCUs were selected for this study because of the limited amount of research on student-athletes at these institutions. Two separate focus group interviews were conducted for data collection. Data was retrieved from…
Racial Perceptions of Baseball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The purpose of this study is to identify demographic backgrounds, participation patterns, and racial perceptions of baseball student-athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States. HBCUs were selected for this study because of the dearth of research on student-athletes at these institutions. An 11-item questionnaire and a focus group interview were used for data collection. Data were retrieved f…
Race and resistance
Historically, sport has been viewed as an apolitical space where organizers, managers, coaches, spectators, and sponsors expected athletes to focus solely on their performance and adhere to functionalist origins of the activity, including physical fitness benefits, character building, teamwork, and social entertainment. Despite these various positive attributes, the institution of sport does not operate in isolation from broader society. Instead,…
Allyship as activism
As the world is racing to find a cure to save lives and economies amidst a global pandemic, COVID-19 has inadvertently caused a shift of focus towards the inequities and injustices plaguing society economically, politically, and socially. In response, athletes, coaches, managers, and other change agents with institutional power in sport organisations across the globe have begun to utilise their platforms to champion social justice generally, and …
A Call for Culturally Responsive Transformational Leadership in College Sport
A longstanding fact in college sports in the United States (U.S.) is the reality that inequities, inequalities, and discrimination have been major issues preventing institutions from fostering harmonious diversity and inclusion. Several reasons for these persistent outcomes include the prevalence of implicit bias, homologous reproduction, hegemonic, and toxic masculinity/patriarchy, colorblind racism, and abstract liberalism to name a few. In add…
An anti-deficit perspective on black male student athletes’ educational experiences at a historically black college/university
The purpose of this study was to identify key institutional characteristics and practices at a historically black college/university (HBCU) that contributed to positive educational experiences for black male student athletes. This mixed methods exploratory study involved the use of a 79-item Student Athlete College Experiences Questionnaire (SACEQ), three focus group interviews, and four individual interviews. Participants in this study included …
A Different World
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have made notable social, cultural, and economic contributions to the African Diaspora, particularly since their inception in the United States. Being that HBCU athletic programs account for a small proportion of the intercollegiate athletic industry, these unique entities are often examined in the same vein as their Historically White Institution counterparts without a full account of the inte…
High School Football and the Athletic-Market Economy
There are two cultural narratives often purported within the American sports cultures of basketball and football. First, those participating within these sports are African American athletes from poor communities lacking educational and economic opportunities. Second, the meritocratic myth perpetuating American society feeds the notion no matter where an individual is from their talent will elevate them to the next level. There have already been …
Collective uplift
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a holistic development support program at Division I historically White institution (HWI) on Black male former college athletes’ pre- and post-graduation experiences and outcomes. Previous research has documented the myriad of challenges facing Black male college athletes at Division I HWIs including exposure to exploitive athletic sub-cultures, stigmatizing campus climates, and a general lac…
Strategic navigation
The purpose of this study was to examine and contrast the experiences of Black male scholar athletes at a Division I historically Black college/university (HBCU) and historically White university (HWU) and identify key contributors to their positive transitional experiences (academic, athletic, and social) in college. Two focus groups, 8 individual interviews, and an eight-item demographic questionnaire were conducted with 12 Black male scholar a…
Not So Black and White
The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and quality of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male student-athletes’ college experiences across race, sport, and divisional classifications. In recent years, the NCAA and its member institutions have faced intense scrutiny regarding the purpose of intercollegiate athletics within their educational missions. Additional concerns have been levied at the NCAA for persistent academic…
Racial Perceptions of Baseball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The purpose of this study is to identify demographic backgrounds, participation patterns, and racial perceptions of baseball student-athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States. HBCUs were selected for this study because of the dearth of research on student-athletes at these institutions. An 11-item questionnaire and a focus group interview were used for data collection. Data were retrieved f…
A Critical Examination of Race and Antiracism in the Sport for Development Field
We welcome you to this special issue of the Sociology of Sport Journal which was envisioned as an opportunity to reimagine and recreate sporting spaces for true racial inclusion and equity.We developed the special issue because of what we saw as an absence of a specific and sustained focus on race and racism in Sport for Development (SfD) as well as an antiracist approach to research and analysis of SfD.This was driven, in part, by the ways in wh…
Overcoming the odds
Purpose Black and Latino males face challenges to college-going that may alter their decision to attend college. However, many Black and Latino males have successfully enrolled and matriculated through college. This study aims to explore the precollege factors that influenced the college enrollment and persistence for first generation Black and Latino male collegians ( N = 5) at a predominantly white institution located in the Northeastern area o…
Understanding Black Male Student Athletes’ Experiences at a Historically Black College/University
The purpose of this article is to describe how a mixed methods approach was employed to acquire a better understanding of Black male student athletes’ experiences at a historically Black college/university in the southeastern United States. A concurrent triangulation design was incorporated to allow different data sources to be collected and analyzed simultaneously to identify areas of convergence. Quantitative findings served as complementary da…
The Black College Athletes’ Burden
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine racialized differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes’ involvement in civic engagement, activism, and racial justice efforts during and post summer of 2020. The summer of 2020 was a period of widespread civil unrest regarding the prevalence of anti-Black racism and social injustice in the United States. International protests ensued, including several athletes across all levels of…
A new paradigm for sport education programs
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the implications of the current ideological underpinnings of sport education programs (SEPs) in the United States (U.S.) and present a new equity-minded and anti-ism sport education (EASE) framework that reflects a paradigm shift towards equity-mindedness, anti-ism, cultural responsiveness, inclusive excellence, and transformational leadership. The sport industry has transformed from modest recreationa…
Athletes and activism, and the NBA
This research study took an in-depth look at how the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its athletes influenced voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election. The NBA worked with athletes and communities to create a space for Black voters to cast their ballot in a safe and efficient manner in the 2020 presidential election. Value Added Theory (VAT) assisted in understanding how events in 2020 surrounding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) mov…
The impact of baseball participation on the educational experiences of black student-athletes at historically black colleges and universities
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of baseball participation on the educational experiences of black student-athletes at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeastern United States (US). HBCUs were selected for this study because of the limited amount of research on student-athletes at these institutions. Two separate focus group interviews were conducted for data collection. Data was retrieved from…
Racial Perceptions of Baseball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The purpose of this study is to identify demographic backgrounds, participation patterns, and racial perceptions of baseball student-athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States. HBCUs were selected for this study because of the dearth of research on student-athletes at these institutions. An 11-item questionnaire and a focus group interview were used for data collection. Data were retrieved f…
Understanding Black Male Student Athletes’ Experiences at a Historically Black College/University
The purpose of this article is to describe how a mixed methods approach was employed to acquire a better understanding of Black male student athletes’ experiences at a historically Black college/university in the southeastern United States. A concurrent triangulation design was incorporated to allow different data sources to be collected and analyzed simultaneously to identify areas of convergence. Quantitative findings served as complementary da…
An anti-deficit perspective on black male student athletes’ educational experiences at a historically black college/university
The purpose of this study was to identify key institutional characteristics and practices at a historically black college/university (HBCU) that contributed to positive educational experiences for black male student athletes. This mixed methods exploratory study involved the use of a 79-item Student Athlete College Experiences Questionnaire (SACEQ), three focus group interviews, and four individual interviews. Participants in this study included …
The value of qualitative approaches in the examination of Black male student athletes
The purpose of this paper is to describe the value added by qualitative research methods in the examination of Black male student athletes' experiences and campus climates at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the United States. A comprehensive review of the sport and higher education literature was conducted to identify exemplar qualitative studies. In an effort to address epistemologic…
Not So Black and White
The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and quality of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male student-athletes’ college experiences across race, sport, and divisional classifications. In recent years, the NCAA and its member institutions have faced intense scrutiny regarding the purpose of intercollegiate athletics within their educational missions. Additional concerns have been levied at the NCAA for persistent academic…
Strategic navigation
The purpose of this study was to examine and contrast the experiences of Black male scholar athletes at a Division I historically Black college/university (HBCU) and historically White university (HWU) and identify key contributors to their positive transitional experiences (academic, athletic, and social) in college. Two focus groups, 8 individual interviews, and an eight-item demographic questionnaire were conducted with 12 Black male scholar a…
Collective uplift
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a holistic development support program at Division I historically White institution (HWI) on Black male former college athletes’ pre- and post-graduation experiences and outcomes. Previous research has documented the myriad of challenges facing Black male college athletes at Division I HWIs including exposure to exploitive athletic sub-cultures, stigmatizing campus climates, and a general lac…
They Think You Should Be Able to Do It All
The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of Black women college athletes at a Division I historically White institution (HWI) to understand their role negotiation processes. There is a need to explore the experiences of Black women college athletes in Olympic sports along with their same race peers in high-profile sports to ensure the professed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mission is being fulfil…
Overcoming the odds
Purpose Black and Latino males face challenges to college-going that may alter their decision to attend college. However, many Black and Latino males have successfully enrolled and matriculated through college. This study aims to explore the precollege factors that influenced the college enrollment and persistence for first generation Black and Latino male collegians ( N = 5) at a predominantly white institution located in the Northeastern area o…
High School Football and the Athletic-Market Economy
There are two cultural narratives often purported within the American sports cultures of basketball and football. First, those participating within these sports are African American athletes from poor communities lacking educational and economic opportunities. Second, the meritocratic myth perpetuating American society feeds the notion no matter where an individual is from their talent will elevate them to the next level. There have already been …
Race and resistance
Historically, sport has been viewed as an apolitical space where organizers, managers, coaches, spectators, and sponsors expected athletes to focus solely on their performance and adhere to functionalist origins of the activity, including physical fitness benefits, character building, teamwork, and social entertainment. Despite these various positive attributes, the institution of sport does not operate in isolation from broader society. Instead,…
A Call for Culturally Responsive Transformational Leadership in College Sport
A longstanding fact in college sports in the United States (U.S.) is the reality that inequities, inequalities, and discrimination have been major issues preventing institutions from fostering harmonious diversity and inclusion. Several reasons for these persistent outcomes include the prevalence of implicit bias, homologous reproduction, hegemonic, and toxic masculinity/patriarchy, colorblind racism, and abstract liberalism to name a few. In add…
Allyship as activism
As the world is racing to find a cure to save lives and economies amidst a global pandemic, COVID-19 has inadvertently caused a shift of focus towards the inequities and injustices plaguing society economically, politically, and socially. In response, athletes, coaches, managers, and other change agents with institutional power in sport organisations across the globe have begun to utilise their platforms to champion social justice generally, and …
A Different World
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have made notable social, cultural, and economic contributions to the African Diaspora, particularly since their inception in the United States. Being that HBCU athletic programs account for a small proportion of the intercollegiate athletic industry, these unique entities are often examined in the same vein as their Historically White Institution counterparts without a full account of the inte…
A new paradigm for sport education programs
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the implications of the current ideological underpinnings of sport education programs (SEPs) in the United States (U.S.) and present a new equity-minded and anti-ism sport education (EASE) framework that reflects a paradigm shift towards equity-mindedness, anti-ism, cultural responsiveness, inclusive excellence, and transformational leadership. The sport industry has transformed from modest recreationa…
A Critical Examination of Race and Antiracism in the Sport for Development Field
We welcome you to this special issue of the Sociology of Sport Journal which was envisioned as an opportunity to reimagine and recreate sporting spaces for true racial inclusion and equity.We developed the special issue because of what we saw as an absence of a specific and sustained focus on race and racism in Sport for Development (SfD) as well as an antiracist approach to research and analysis of SfD.This was driven, in part, by the ways in wh…
Athletes and activism, and the NBA
This research study took an in-depth look at how the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its athletes influenced voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election. The NBA worked with athletes and communities to create a space for Black voters to cast their ballot in a safe and efficient manner in the 2020 presidential election. Value Added Theory (VAT) assisted in understanding how events in 2020 surrounding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) mov…
The Black College Athletes’ Burden
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine racialized differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes’ involvement in civic engagement, activism, and racial justice efforts during and post summer of 2020. The summer of 2020 was a period of widespread civil unrest regarding the prevalence of anti-Black racism and social injustice in the United States. International protests ensued, including several athletes across all levels of…
Black Sporting Resistance
In recent years, there has been increased attention towards activism in sporting spaces. A vast majority of these contributions have focused on intra-nation tensions and impact. Yet, there is a dearth of scholarship that has engaged in a theoretically grounded analysis of how Black sportspersons have exhibited resistance in and through sport across national borders across time, space, and context. In this text, Joseph N. Cooper introduces the Bla…
The coloniality of power
Sociology (18 works) · Sports, Gender, and Society (16 works) · Political science (14 works) · Gender Studies (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Athletes (12 works) · Gender Studies (11 works) · Medicine (11 works) · Youth Development and Social Support (10 works) · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts (9 works)