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On whiskey, generational osmosis, and thinking ‘til it hurts: Eric Dunning and the Canadian Sociology of Sport Figuration

Abstract Any study of violence in the sociology of sport owes a substantial debt of gratitude to Eric Dunning. This is certainly true of Canadian sociology of sport where, for at least three generations, the ideas of Dunning and his mentor, Norbert Elias, have proven both foundational and enduring for a core group of scholars. In this paper, two recognized scholars in the Canadian figuration, Michael Atkinson and Kevin Young, reflect on Dunning’s influence in shaping both their own and others’ understanding of how ‘sport matters’; in this case, the analysis of violence inside and outside of sport. The authors consider their own research ‘in the field’ of sport violence, their personal career intersections with figurational thinking, and both the formal and informal mentorship Eric provided over several decades. For both Michael and Kevin, Eric helped to shape not only the contents of their theoretical leanings over the course of time, but also instructed them to envision substantive issues related to sport violence as both long-term sociogenic and psychogenic processes more broadly. The paper concludes with personal reflections on Eric the scholar and gentleman.