Factors influencing 20th century sport

Question 1

Social class

Answer 1

• Social class divisions became more vague
• Professionalism grew in many sports, but amateur traditions still remained in some sports (Rugby Union did not become professional until 1995)
• Professionalism continued to be generally associated with working classes
• Upper/middle classes still had more access to a wider range of sport
• Middle classes had more opportunities through grammar schools
• Creation of public facilities meant greater equality in sport

Question 2

Gender

Answer 2

• Move towards gender equality in society for women including, in education (1944 Education Act meant all girls completed secondary school), work and women won the right to vote (1918)
• Opportunities for women did improve (increased participation for women but still less than men) but women did still not have equal opportunities
• First women’s Olympic Marathon wasn’t until 1984
• Women’s sport lacked professionalism (there was a lack of spectatorship and sponsorship)
• Some sport still resisted female participation

Question 3

Law and order

Answer 3

• Fully established laws and a sense of order in society
• The number of police officers increased
• After the end of the world war, female police officers were recruited
• All sports were fully coded, some minor rule changes made to reduce remaining violence
• Still not effect on ‘cruel activities’ for the upper classes (e.g fox hunting wasn’t banned until 2005)

Question 4

Education

Answer 4

• Education Act 1944 made PE compulsory. Raised school leaving age from 14-15. Introduction of grammar schools (11+ academic test to enter).
• Due to compulsory PE and school sport, there was increased participation in sport
• More girls taking part in sport due to doing it in PE lessons
• Students at grammar schools had access to a wide range of sports (particularly expensive sports)

Question 5

Availability of time

Answer 5

• Improved working conditions saw a dramatic decrease in the average working week to 40 hours
• Increased leisure time meant increased participation in sport by working classes
• Increased leisure time also meant more time for spectating
• Less working hours meant people had more energy to participate in sport
• More paid holiday meant increased time to participate

Question 6

Availability of money

Answer 6

• Introduction of paid holiday
• Better pay means there is more disposable income for working classes and lower classes could afford to pay to spectate
• Money still differentiated to access to certain activities
• Professionalism still continued for the working classes

Question 7

Transport

Answer 7

• More trains and improves rail networks
• Development of public coaches and buses
• Cars developed and became something that most households owned
• Development of planes and international air travel for the masses
• Increased accessibility to sports in different environments e.g to lakes, beaches, countryside and also local facilities
• Increase in competitive fixtures and sporting events nationally and internationally
• Increased spectatorship because people can travel internationally