Chapter 1: Sociology of Sport

Question 1

what is sociology?

Answer 1

the study of the social world that people create, maintain, and change through relationships

Question 2

what is a social world?

Answer 2

an identifiable sphere of everyday actions and relationships created by people as they participate in social life

Question 3

what aspects of life are shown within a social world?

Answer 3

1. values and beliefs used to make sense of our lives
2. everyday actions and relationships
3. groups, organizations, communities, and societies that are formed

Question 4

what is a society?

Answer 4

a self-sufficient group of people who maintain a way of life in a particular territory

Question 5

what is the goal of sociology?

Answer 5

describe and explain social worlds

• how they’re created, re-created, and changed
• how they’re organized
• how they influence everyone’s life

Question 6

what is culture?

Answer 6

a shared way of life and understanding, that people develop as they live together

Question 7

what is social interaction?

Answer 7

when people take each other into account and influence each other’s feelings, thoughts, and actions

Question 8

what is social structure?

Answer 8

the established patterns of relationships and social arrangements that take shape as people live, work, and play with each other

Question 9

what is the definition of sport (western culture)?

Answer 9

physical activities that involve challenges or competitive contest

Question 10

what are 3 ways that sport is organized? give an example of each.

Answer 10

1. free flowing (for pleasure)
   - skateboarding at a skate park
2. organized schedules with spectators
   - NFL games
3. in between
   - organized youth sports

Question 11

what is physical culture? give an example.

Answer 11

all forms of movement and physical activity that people within a social world create and sustain

example) Tai chi in a Beijing park

Question 12

what are benefits that “organized” sports receive?

Answer 12

gives special status to increase participation, funding, community support, and general visibility

Question 13

what are the 8 structures within all westernized sport?

Answer 13

1. scoring
2. schedules and seasons
3. winners and losers
4. rules
5. referees
6. competition
7. coaches
8. governing bodies that set rules and sponsor championships

Question 14

what is a social construction?

Answer 14

parts of the social world that are created by people as they interact under particular social, political, and economic conditions

Question 15

what are contested activities?

Answer 15

activities that do not have a universal agreements about what they mean, why they exist, or how they should be organized

Question 16

what is the sociology of sport?

Answer 16

a subdiscipline of sociology and physical education that studies sports as a social phenomena

Question 17

what is the great sport myth?

Answer 17

• states that sport is pure and good, and it’s purity and goodness are transferred to anyone who plays, consumes, or sponsors sports
• sport builds character and anyone who plays sport will be a better person
• believes there is no need to study and evaluate sports because they are already what they should be

Question 18

what are 5 reasons for why women have lowers rates of sport participation?

Answer 18

1. less time, freedom, and money
2. little to no control over facilities where sports are played
3. less access to transportation
4. expected to take full-time responsibility for their family
5. sports are organized around the values, interests and experiences of men

Question 19

what is social capital?

Answer 19

the social resources that link them positively to social worlds

Question 20

what is an ideology?

Answer 20

a shared interpretation that people use to make sense of and evaluate themselves, others, and events in their social worlds

Question 21

how are ideologies created?

Answer 21

they develop as people give meaning to and make sense of a social phenomena in certain ways

Question 22

what is gender ideology?

what are it’s 3 beliefs?

Answer 22

• beliefs that defines masculinity/femininity, evaluates sexual expression, and determines gender roles
• 3 central beliefs: (1) humans are male or female, (2) heterosexuality is the foundation of nature, (3) men are stronger and more rational

Question 23

what is racial ideology?

what are it’s 3 beliefs?

Answer 23

• beliefs that classify humans into categories based on biology in relation to internal attributes
• 3 central beliefs: (1) humans are classified by race, (2) intellect and characteristics vary by race, (3) white people only have white ancestors

Question 24

what is social class ideology?

what are it’s 3 beliefs?

Answer 24

• beliefs used to evaluate material status and economic success
• 3 central ideas: (1) everyone can be successful, (2) meritocracy > people who deserve it are successful and failure is due to poor choice and laziness

Question 25

what is ableist ideology?

what are it’s 3 beliefs?

Answer 25

• beliefs that identify people are physically/intellectually disabled in order to justify exclusion and injustice
• 3 central ideas: (1) people are normal or disabled, (2) disability exists when impairments interfere with everyday life, (3) disabled people are inferior to normal people

Question 26

what is ableism?

Answer 26

attitudes, actions, and policies based on the belief that people who “lack” certain abilities are inferior and incapable of participating in mainstream activities

Question 27

why are ideologies difficult to change?

Answer 27

• defended by those who benefit from it

- some connected with religious beliefs and moral values