Violent Impacts : How Power and Inequality Shape the Concussion Crisis

Abstract

Concerns regarding brain injury in sport have escalated into what is often termed a “concussion crisis,” fueled 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, Kathryn Henne and Matt Ventresca examine what is and what isn’t captured in popular discourse, scrutinizing 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 centers certain bodies as part of the concussion crisis while pushing others to the margins. “An original, incisive, and much-needed analysis of the forces that shape how we talk—or fail to talk—about concussions and the people they affect.” — KATHLEEN BACHYNSKI, author of No Game for Boys to Play: The History of Youth Football and the Origins of a Public Health Crisis “A fascinating and timely study that draws needed attention to the powerful economic interests putting bodies and brains in harm’s way.” — VICTORIA PITTS-TAYLOR, author of The Brain’s Body: Neuroscience and Corporeal Politics “Essential reading for anyone interested in structural violence and the social determinants of health.” — KATH WOODWARD, coauthor of Gender Studies: A Multidisciplinary Approach