Chapter 10: Sport & Health

Question 1

What’s the functionalist view on sports and health, and what are the positive impacts, considerations, and cautions?

Answer 1

Functionalists see sports as a societal contributor to health. Positive impacts include physical and mental benefits. Considerations involve elite challenges and cautions about addiction and body image.

Question 2

Body as a machine:

Answer 2

• Functionalist perspective
• Examines the body’s biological functions, understanding it from a mechanistic perspective.

Question 3

What does the functionalist perspective focus on in terms of rehab from injury?

Answer 3

Focuses on learning how to fix bodies through rehab and therapy.

Question 4

(functionalist) Reductionist vs. embodiment:

Answer 4

Explores whether the approach considers the body as discrete elements to fix or as a holistic, embodied entity.

Question 5

Reductionist Perspective:

Answer 5

Identifying potential issues early rather than waiting until they progress with age, considering long-term impacts on overall health.

Question 6

Embodiment:

Answer 6

A concept that can be loosely defined as the lived experience of having a body and being a body.

Question 7

How does the conflict perspective in sports, focusing on goal-rational action, impact athletes?

Answer 7

Conflict theorists see sports as resource battlegrounds. This leads to athletes’ alienation, selective health concern, athletes as commodities, sacrifices for goals, lack of body concern, and financial decisions affecting welfare.

Question 8

Discuss the conflict perspective on downplaying injuries in sports, covering hidden, disrespected, unwelcomed, and depersonalized pain, and its impact on certain athletes.

Answer 8

In conflict view, injuries are downplayed. Athletes hide pain, face disrespect, feel pressured to mask pain, and injuries are depersonalized. The issue is pronounced for ‘unsuitable’ athletes, facing stigma for admitting injuries.

Question 9

Embodiment

Answer 9

In sports, an embodiment approach would consider how the entire person, including their physical body, emotions, and social context, influences and is influenced by their participation in sports.

Question 10

Reductionism

Answer 10

In the context of sports, a reductionist perspective might focus on analyzing individual elements such as biomechanics, physiology, or psychology to understand performance.

Question 11

Alienation to One’s Body:

Answer 11

Athletes may experience a sense of alienation from their bodies, treating them more as tools for achieving specific performance goals rather than integral parts of their identity.

Question 12

What were historical views on women’s health and sports, and how do feminist perspectives challenge gender stereotypes?

Answer 12

Historically, stereotypes on women’s health, like reproductive concerns and fragility, were reasons against sports participation. Feminism delves into the nuanced effects of sports on both genders, challenging stereotypes. In health research, women were underrepresented, affecting understanding.

Question 13

Explain the concept of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and how it relates to women athletes.

Answer 13

RED-S, formerly the Female Athlete Triad, addresses energy imbalance, menstrual dysfunction, and bone health in female athletes. For instance, insufficient energy intake in women athletes may impact reproductive health and bone density.

Question 14

How do feminist perspectives analyze gendered aspects of injuries like ACL injuries and concussions in sports?

Answer 14

Feminist perspectives explore gendered aspects of injuries. For ACL injuries, there’s emphasis on women’s anatomy, possibly related to hip width. Concussion analyses show women are twice as likely to experience them, though reasons for the disparity remain unclear.

Question 15

What is the trickle-down theory in sports, and what criticisms exist regarding its impact on non-athletes?

Answer 15

The trickle-down theory asserts that major sports events positively impact non-athletes, inspiring increased sport participation. However, criticisms include weak evidence for positive changes, overemphasis on grand claims, lack of attention to social factors, and neglect of negative consequences.

Question 16

What are the criticisms of the ‘sport as a cure-all’ discourse?

Answer 16

Criticisms include a lack of consideration for social factors, structural barriers, and negative consequences of sport participation. The interchangeability of terms like sport, play, and exercise, and the normalization of dominant sport perspectives, may not benefit everyone.

Question 17

Historically, how has mental health been addressed in the context of sports?

Answer 17

Historically, mental health and sports were not openly discussed, with athletes often viewed as tough and strong. In the last 10-15 years, there’s been increased public awareness, and more athletes are now open about mental health issues.

Question 18

Despite increased awareness, how is mental health still perceived in the context of sports?

Answer 18

While there’s greater public awareness and more athletes speak out, mental health is often seen as an individual problem rather than an outcome of the sports system. It’s not yet widely acknowledged that the sport system may contribute to mental health issues.

Question 19

What is healthism, and how does it view health in terms of individual responsibility?

Answer 19

Healthism perceives health as primarily an individual concern, emphasizing personal choices and behaviors over broader social and environmental factors. It often promotes the idea that maintaining good health is achievable through personal self-discipline and places a heavy emphasis on individual responsibility for health outcomes.

Question 20

What are the key features of healthism, particularly regarding self-discipline and personal responsibility?

Answer 20

Healthism promotes the idea that maintaining good health relies on personal self-discipline, suggesting individuals can achieve optimal health through their own efforts. It heavily emphasizes personal responsibility, holding individuals accountable for the consequences of their lifestyle choices.

Question 21

How does the social determinants of health (SDOH) perspective differ from healthism?

Answer 21

The SDOH perspective recognizes that health outcomes are not solely determined by individual choices but follow a social gradient. It acknowledges that health is influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors, and disparities are linked to factors such as income, access to nutritious food, and conditions like housing, education, and employment.

Question 22

In what ways does the SDOH perspective consider income and its distribution in society?

Answer 22

The SDOH perspective recognizes the impact of income on health, noting that higher income levels generally correlate with better health outcomes, while lower income levels are associated with poorer health. It highlights the importance of addressing income inequality to improve overall health.

Question 23

How does the SDOH perspective address issues related to food, such as food security, food swamps, and food deserts?

Answer 23

The SDOH perspective considers access to nutritious food as crucial for health. It recognizes that food security, characterized by consistent access to sufficient, nutritious food, is a positive determinant. Conversely, food swamps (areas with an overabundance of unhealthy food options) and food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food) are negative determinants.

Question 24

What other factors does the SDOH perspective intertwine with health, apart from income and food?

Answer 24

The SDOH perspective acknowledges that health is interconnected with various factors, including access to safe housing, quality education, and meaningful employment. It recognizes that inadequate housing, limited educational opportunities, and unemployment can negatively impact health outcomes, emphasizing the importance of addressing systemic issues to improve overall health.