THEMES

• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT ARE ESSENTIAL, NOT PERIPHERAL, TO HUMAN EXISTENCE.

• SPORT IS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION AND THUS DOES NOT STAND ISOLATED. IT NECESSARILY INFLUENCES AND IS INFLUENCED BY OTHER SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

• SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

• As parts of cultures, sports have forms and meanings, which vary from one group and society and over time as groups and societies change.

• Eg. Sumo/wwe; nasimith/nba• It is important to know about these cultural

and historical differences when we study sports as parts of social life. !!

B. SOCIETY• SOCIETY – A collection of people living in a

defined geographical territory and united through a political system and a shared sense of self-identification that distinguishes them from other people.

• SPORTS ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS – Aspects of the social world created by people as they interact with each other and live their lives in connection with social, political, and economic processes in particular societies.

• Eg. Soccer, rugby, field hockey, Vanderbilt

• SUMMARY

• Sports are important parts of culture, which differ from place to place and time to time. How they are defined, organized, and integrated into social life varies from one society to another. .. To understand sports we MUST view them as social constructions created in particular cultural and and social contexts.

• How and why are sports important in our personal and social lives? How do sports and participation in sports affect our ideas about our bodies, gender, social class, race, ethnicity, violence , etc.

• How are sports related to family, education, politics, economy, media, religion etc.

• Etc. etc.

V. WHY STUDY SPORTS IN SOCIETY

• A. SPORTS ARE A PART OF PEOPLES LIVES

• Everywhere: media, conversations, language, celebrities, fashion, heroes and images, school, etc.

B. SPORTS ARE CONNECTED WITH IMPORTANT IDEAS AND MEANINGS IN

SOCIAL LIFE

• GENDER IDEOLOGY

• RACIAL AND CLASS IDEOLOGY

• CLASS IDEOLOGY

• BODY/SPIRIT

C. SPORTS ARE CONNECTED TO MAJOR

SPHERES OF SOCIAL LIFE• FAMILY

• ECONOMY

• MEDIA

• POLITICS

• EDUCATION

• RELIGION