Ethics in sport Flashcards
What class are amateurs?
upper class
What class are professionals?
lower class
What is amateurism?
Participation in sport for the love of sport, and receive no financial gain
- upper + middle class had higher status as amateurs than professionals
What is a professional?
a person who plays for financial gain
- emphasis on winning
How have professionals changed in modern day sport?
- all classes can compete (social class not a barrier)
- there are high rewards for professionals through media and sponsorship
- professional have more time to train, leading to higher standards of performance
Who wrote the Olympic oath?
Baron de Coubertin in 1920
What is the Olympic oath?
a promise made by an athlete/ coach/ official as a representative of all groups to commit to impartiality at the opening ceremony of every Olympic game
What are examples of amateurism in modern day sport?
- fair play awards
- shaking hands before + after games
- through the Olympic Oath
Sports such as the Rugby Union, have maintained their amateur status + still have codes of conduct (e.g call the ref ‘sir’)
What are the arguments for the idea that the Olympic oath is still relevant?
- stringent drug testing shows the importance of fair competition
- punishment for deviant behaviour during Olympic
- amateurism is still encouraged as there is no prize money or appearance fees
What are the arguments for the idea that the Olympic oath is NOT still relevant?
- doping/ drug taking by individuals undermines the importance of the Oath
- athletes have been shown to be involved in deviant behaviour which undermines the Oath
- commercialisation and financial rewards associated with success make the Oath less relevant
What is the definition of sportsmanship?
conforming to the unwritten rules, spirit + etiquette of a sport
What are examples of sportsmanship?
- kicking the ball out of player when someone is injured
- cricketers ‘walking’ before being called out
Is sportsmanship in decline?
- increasing number of sport related convictions
- more emphasis on winning
- monetary rewards
- media hype up events and rivariles
- pressure of winning - teams may stretch rules
How can we encourage sportsmanship?
- use of NGB campaigns promoting sportsmanship
- fair play schemes and campaigns
- positive role models
- development of positive values early in childhood
- punishment for deviant behaviour
What is the definition of gamesmanship?
Bending the rules + stretching them to the limit without getting caught
What is an example of gamesmanship?
- diving in football
- tying shoelaces before an opponent serves to put them off
- time wasting
What is win ethic?
Lombardian ethic - winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all the time thing’
What happened in the Harlequins - Bloodgate scandal?
- top level coaches were using fake blood capsules
- faking blood injuries to bring specialist kickers on
- coach resigned and received a 36 month ban
Where is the win ethic evident in modern day sport?
- no drawn games - always a winner in basketball etc
- managers + coaches fired is unsuccessful
- high amounts of deviance
- media praise winners
- media negativity for loser
What are the 2 types of deviancy?
Positive deviancy
Negative deviancy
What is positive deviancy?
Behaviour outside the norms of society but not intent to harm or break rules
What is an example of positive deviancy?
- performers competing despite being injured
- performer who overtrains
What is negative deviancy?
Behaviour that goes against the norms and has a detrimental effect on individuals + society
What is an example of negative deviancy?
- taking illegal drugs
- match-fixing
- deliberately fouling or harming an opponent
