sociology+of+sport.pptx

8/13/2019 Sociology+of+Sport.pptx

1/29

Sociology of Sport


2/29

Game vs. Sport

Game Sport

Competition is a key factor ininvolvement

Outcome determined by physicalor mental skill, but strategy and

chance have a large role

Time is not a relevant factor ininvolvement

Activity is ritualized, withspontaneity diminished

Formal rules, structure of roles,and time limitations

Individual liability andresponsibility for behavior and

outcome

Outcome extends beyond thebounds of the activity

Individual time is required forpractice and mastery


3/29

What is Sport Sociology?

A sub-discipline of sociology which focuseson sports as social phenomena. It is an area ofstudy concerned with various socio-culturalstructures, patterns, and organizations or groupsinvolved with sport.

Sociologists study sport in terms of the socialconditions that surround and are outside theindividual athlete. Focus on relations, culture, social class, sexuality, and ethnicity


4/29

Sports sociology considers the relationship betweensports and society

Sports as a microcosm of society How culture and values influence sport How sport influences culture and values Sports and media, politics, economics, religion, race,

gender, youth, etc.

Sports and social inequality, social mobility National Velvet (gender inequality) Hoop Dreams (racial inequality, social mobility) Happy Gilmore, Water Boy (ethnic inequality) Casey Martin vs. PGA Tour (disability)


5/29

Sports related to all aspects of society: Family, Education,Culture, Class, Ethnicity, Religion, Politics, Gender (Sexuality),Economy.


6/29

Why study Sociology of Sport?

Sport is related to all aspects of a society Learning about the sociology of sport teaches

about the society Ideology a combination of ideal, beliefs and attitudes

Dominant ideology the combination promoted bythe dominant and powerful groups of a society

Ideologies linked with sport sociology:

Gender Family Economy Education Politics Religion


7/29

Gender and Sport

Sports first developed around an ideology of gender a gender logic thatexisted in the dominant culture

The basic principle of gender logic:Women are naturally inferior to men In strength

Physical skill Emotional control

Intelligence

The dominant ideology led to a sport vocabulary supporting the genderlogic

Correct throw ( like a man)

Incorrect throw (like a girl) Created discrimination against female players

Coaches use the logic to motivate players

you are playing like a bunch of girls.

Race logic, class logic, and character logic also exist in sports.


8/29

Sports reinforces gender-specific roles, beginning at a young age1. T-ball (kindergarten) (Landers and Fine, 1996)

Girls treated more harshly and ridiculed by boys and coaches Female coaches performed more organizational duties, male coaches did more

coaching Reinforcement of gender stereotypes antagonistic to female participation in

sports2. Participation in masculine sports creates gender identity conflict for

females, likewise participation in feminine sports creates gender identityconflict for males

3. Physical training (especially weight training) thought to lead to a un-woman-like physique

4. Female athletes score higher on masculine dimensions of gender-roleidentity compared to nonathletes (Giuliano et al., 2000)

5. Figure skating once was a male-dominated sport, however it is nowconsidered a feminine sport due to emphasis on body presentation,appearance, & grace. Efforts to masculinize the image of male skatershave polarized gender roles in the sport (Adams, 1998)


9/29

Gender and Sports A Historical

PerspectiveA. 1800s Historically, participation of women in sports was discouraged or banned. Starting

around 1850, physical education for women was introduced at colleges Sports included bowling, ice skating, archery, swimming, and equitation By the 1890s, sports venues for college women expanded to include tennis, golf,

baseball, track and field, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball Basketball was particularly controversial These sports were generally offered in the context of physical education NOT varsity

sports

B. Early 1900s Collegiate sports opportunities for women grew in the 1920s and 30s, but opposition

did not wane National Association of Secondary Principals 1925 sooner or later,the spectacle of interscholastic contests among girls gives rise to undesirable andeven morbid social influences

Basketball, track & field, and softball were considered too masculine for properwomen

By the late 1930s, many high schools and colleges eliminated these sports for women


10/29

C. Effect of WWII WWII sent many women into non-traditional roles

(factory work, e.g.) The All-American Girls Professional BaseballLeague was founded in 1943 and lasted until 1954

At the collegiate level, basketball, softballresurfaced, however coaching was less available and

travel considerably more restricted than for menssports Recruiting of women athletes was virtually non-

existant Ellie Daniel, 3 Olympic medals in swimming, 1968


11/29

D. 1970s Enter Title IX 1972 Title IX, affected all educational programs receiving federal funds almost all

colleges and universities Enforced through the Office for Civil Rights Guidelines include:

Selection of sports that accommodate interests of both genders participationopportunities in proportion to enrollment

Equality in equipment, facilities, scheduling of practice and games, travel funds,coaching and tutoring, coaches salaries, access to training and medical services,housing and dining services, publicity

E. AIAW Movement to keep womens athletics from becoming a copy of mens

Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) founded 1971 Wanted to prevent womens sports from becoming a copy of mens sports

Must the Womens Rights movement demand for our young girls a share in thethings that are wrong in sports today as well as a share in the rights in order fullyto prove equality?

Outlawed athletic scholarships initially, but rescinded in 1973 due to pressure andTitle IX allowed 4 yr scholarships

Disbanded in 1982


12/29

Sport

Family Economy

Sport has major impacts onfamily life

Millions of children areinvolved in sport

Parents organize, coach,attend games and drivechildren to sports events

Changing patterns of youthinvolvement in sport resultin changing patterns offamily life

The economies of mostcountries are affected heavilyby sport participation

Tax dollars are used tocontribute to the success ofsport in communities andmost countries

Per capita income at the end

of the 20thcentury wasabout $4000, but someathletes were making $30million per year in salary!


13/29

Sport

Education Religion

Sport teams in High Schoolsusually attract more attention

than academic events Sport are the most prominent

representative of colleges

The success or failure of theinstitution is sometimes

connected to success in sport

Religious rituals areincreasingly used in sportparticipation in the USA

Large nondenominationalorganizations have beencreated for the purpose ofconverting young athletes toa religious ideology(Christian Athletes)

Churches sponsor athleticevents

Churches alter schedules toaccommodate sportingevents


14/29


15/29

Sport is linked to national pride

Politicians promote themselves by association

with sport teams and players

Athletes are frequently elected to political officeon the basis of athletic participation

Steve Largent US House of Representatives (1994-2002)

Jack Kemp Former footballer and part of the USpolitical scene in early 1990s


16/29

The Anti-Jock Movement The anti-jock movementis a loosely organized cyber-

movement consisting of similarly themed websites, whose goal is tochallenge the perceived cultural dominance of institutionalizedcompetitive sports and to raise issues of the perceived detrimental effects ofsuch a dominance. In this regard, the term "jock" is used in its the sense of

"stereotypicalathlete," although websites constituent of the Anti-jockMovement often use the term to distinguish negative or excessive interest insports, from common or positive athletic endeavor.

In the decade following the year 2000, increasing recognition has beengiven to the existence of a movement consisting of "a group ofselfdescribed marginalized youth [who] constructed and sustainedanti

jock websites, where they articulated 'dissatisfaction with and anger

toward institutions that uncritically adulate hypermasculine/high contactsport culture and the athletes who are part of this culture (i.e., the jocks)'

Such has been cited as an act of resistance against the dominant mediaandcultural paradigm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_(athlete)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportspersonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportspersonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_(athlete)


17/29

After analyzing the content of various "Anti-Jock"websites, Professor Wilson concluded that

In one sense, the anti-jock Websites can be viewed,together, as a new social movement according toHarvey and Houle's definition. That is to say, theyare not linked to specific economic interests, they

are working toward change in society's (pro-jock)values, and (arguably), anti-jocks are workingtoward a better society where males and females arenot subject to the domination of the interests of amasculinist sport culture and jocks.


18/29

Professor Brian Wilson, in his article "The 'Anti-Jock' Movement:Reconsidering Youth Resistance, Masculinity and Sport Culture inthe Age of the Internet", detailed two basic types of websites which

are common within the Anti-Jock cyber movement. First,webzinesdevoted to opposition of the jock culture. These sitesoften include suggestions for activism and action against the "jockestablishment." Professor Wilson, referred specifically to two suchsites:Spoilsports, and the now defunctHigh School Underground.There are however, other such sites, such as theInternational IHate Sports Club, which have similar objectives and content.

Second, there are personal websites, consisting ofpersonal rantscriticizing the "jock establishment," "personalinterest" websites which include personal concerns which includecriticism about "jock culture," and third, personal sites that devotethemselves exclusively to anti-jock statements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webzinehttp://members.tripod.com/~lucas94/index-5.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20020106215146/http:/www.hsunderground.com/index.htmlhttp://www.sportssuck.org/http://www.sportssuck.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monologuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monologuehttp://www.sportssuck.org/http://www.sportssuck.org/http://web.archive.org/web/20020106215146/http:/www.hsunderground.com/index.htmlhttp://members.tripod.com/~lucas94/index-5.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webzine


19/29

Why is the movement important? The online incarnation of the anti-jock movement is

relevant for sociologists who attempt to understand andexplain forms of youth rebellion and resistance.

Wilson : this is an online collective action that haspossible socio-political consequences. For example,concerns expressed by antijocks in school newspaperarticles or through petitions against the funding of sport

(both resistance strategies recommended on anti-jocksites) could potentially lead schools to rethink theiremphasis on sports and athletic accomplishment orinfluence public opinion about issues such as the publicfunding of sports stadiums.


20/29


21/29

Functionalism on Sports

Concerned with how social systems (like Sport)contribute to the needs of the society

How does sport contribute to the smoothoperation of society?

How does sport fit into the social life and

contribute to social stability? How does sport participation influence personal

development?


22/29

Functionalists say: Sport is avaluable social institutionthat benefitssociety and individuals

Sport is a source of inspiration on both thepersonal and social levels of society

Hence, the implication for societies is to: Develop and expand sport programs that will promote

traditional values

Expand programs that promote positive characterdevelopment

Expand programs that contribute to the stability ofsociety


23/29

Criticisms of Functionalist Approach

Overstatesthe positiveconsequences Overlooksthe negative

Ignores the unequal participation rates for allsports

Ignores the social construction of sport insociety

Ignores the diversity in sport Ignores the extent to which sport promotes the

interest of wealth and power


24/29

Conflict Theory on SportBased on the principles of class struggle, inequality, power anddominance, Conflict theorists are interested in:

How does sport reflect class relations?

How sports and sport participation divides people in the workingclass How people with few resources are denied opportunities to play

sports The lack of rights among athletes

How is sport used to maintain the interests of those withpower and wealth in society? How money and power are used to control sports and exploit

others to maintain the status quo

How has the profit motive distorted sport?


25/29

Conflict theory maintains: Sport is a form of physical activity that is distorted

by the needs of capital. Sport is an opiate that distracts attention away

from the social problems created by economicexploitation.

Hence, societys focus should be: Eliminate the profit motive in sport

Equalized participation through program expansion andparticipation

Allow the participation in sport to be a source of physicalwell-being


26/29

Criticisms of Conflict theory

Overstatesthe influence of economic interests

Assumes that those with economic wealth shapesports to meet economic interests

Ignores sport as a liberating experience


27/29

Feminism and Sports

How is sports a gendered activity?

How does sport reproduce the dominant genderlogic of society?

What are the strategies for resisting andtransforming sport forms that privilege men?


28/29

Interactionist perspectiveBasic premise: How are meanings, identities, and

culture created through social interaction?

How do people become involved in sports, becomedefined as athletes, and move out of sports into therest of their lives

Goal is to obtain detailed descriptions of sportexperiences Seek information on how people make decisions about

sports in their lives Connect meanings given to sports and sport

experiences with the larger social and cultural context


29/29

It maintains: Sports are forms of culture created through social

interaction. Sport participation is grounded in the decisions made

by people in connection with their identities and theirrelationships.

Thus, society should: Allow individuals to shape sport to fit their social

reality. Make sport organization more democratic and less

hierarchical. Focus on the culture and organization of sport,

rather than individual athletes when trying tocontrol deviance in sport.

sociology+of+sport.pptx

Documents