Theodore M Butryn

Dr. Theodore M Butryn is a Professor of Sport Sociology & Sport Psychology and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Kinesiology at San José State University (SJSU). He holds a PhD from the University of Tennessee (2000) and has been at SJSU for 20 years. His work critically examines intersections of sociological and psychological factors in sport, focusing on identity politics, media representation, and cultural studies. He co-directs the Kinesiology Qualitative Research Lab with Dr. Matthew Masucci.

Dr. Butryn’s research explores themes such as cyborg theory, racial/ethnic identities in sport, and the cultural meanings of MMA, UFC, and WWE. Notable projects include a World Anti-Doping Agency-funded study on elite female triathletes’ perceptions of doping and collaborative work on the 2017 NFL protests. He emphasizes interdisciplinary methodologies, including phenomenology and critical content analysis.

His service roles include Executive Board positions in the International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise and Research Fellow at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport. He advises graduate students on diverse topics like bereavement in athletes, CrossFit culture, and parkour. His teaching spans graduate and undergraduate programs in sport sociology and qualitative research methods.

Dr. Butryn’s scholarly contributions address neoliberalism in sport media, the politics of anti-doping, and the application of critical theory to sport psychology. His recent work highlights media framing of athletes with mental health challenges and the socio-cultural dimensions of athletic identity.