Richard S. Gruneau analyzes various theoretical frameworks regarding the emergence of modern sport. Specifically, Gruneau discusses the theory of industrial society as well as a Marxist point of view for describing the evolution of sport in society. While neither offers a complete story on the issue, both are able to paint partial pictures of how and why sport has transformed in the way it has. While the theory of industrial society points to modernization as the key factor for sport in society, a Marxist view is more capable of describing issues such as capital accumulation, unequal class relationships and powers, commodification, and hegemony.
Gruneau, Richard. (1988). Modernization or Hegemony: Two Views on Sport and Social Development. In J. Harvey and H. Cantelon (Eds.), Not Just a Game: Essays in Canadian Sport Sociology. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.