Stephen Townsend

Stephen's research engages with multiple critical issues in sport, physical activity, and leisure cultures, including health discourses, gender, race, religion, politics, protest, and press discourses. His current research aims better understand the often-invisible cultural forces that shape how sportspeople make decisions regarding their brain health. Most recently, Stephen's research has been cited in the Australian Senate Inquiry into Repeated Head Trauma in Sport and through various media appearances.

His previous research has critically press attitudes toward black athletes, especially outspoken black athletes like Muhammad Ali. Stephen's research helps us to better understand not only how sociocultural factors shape athlete experiences of sport, but also how public attitudes toward sport and athletes are shaped. His research also incorporates digital tools and methodologies. His use of digital tools, methodologies, and visualistions not only has significant implications for practitioners of history but also for members of public searching for new and more engaging ways to consume historical narratives.