Module 3, Sport & Social Stratification Flashcards
Social stratification
structured forms of economic inequalities that are part of the organization of everyday social life
strata - layers in society based on social class
examples - neighbourhoods (more affluent than others), professional sporting stadiums (people closer to field, pay more money), plane seating (first class, business, economy)
Social class
categories of people who share an economic position is society based on a combination of their income (earnings), wealth (possessions), education, occupation and social connections
- the higher up the ladder the more likely you are to engage with sport and physical activity in all forms (ex. watching games, playing, training)
Neoliberalism
(new freedom) - a political theory that maintains that personal liberty (that is, freedom) is maximized by limiting government interference in the operation of free markets
- in short, it is a radical privileging of the individual over the collective
Neoliberalism values:
- less government regulation (ex. liberalization of trade and business, lower taxes)
- decreased government funding for public senses (ex. hospitals, health care, education, community centres, and sport & recreation)
- privatization of public sector
- increased focus on self responsibility
Class ideologies
the web of ideas and beliefs that people use to understand economic inequalities, identify themselves in terms of their class position, and evaluate the manner in which economic inequalities are and should be integrated into the organization of social worlds
Hegemony
term used to describe the processes through which dominant individuals and groups are able to exert moral and intellectual leadership to establish ideological systems of meanings and values as ‘common sense’ in democratic societies
- people agree to conditions that may not be to their advantage
- capitalism has become hegemonic creating inequality to sport
Meritocracy
idea that you get what you deserve and deserve what you get
- a hierarchal ranking and reward system in which an individual’s demonstrated performance determines where she or he will be situated in the existing hierarchy
- having a level playing field is central to having true meritocracy: 1. equality of opportunity 2. equality of conditions
- Equality of opportunity
the chance to participate must be equally available to everyone, irrespective of class, gender, race, ethnicity, geographical location and so on
- Equality of conditions
every competitor participates under the same conditions (social, economic factors not biological)
Capital (four forms)
economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital
- the volume of capital possessed and the ability to transpose it from any one from to another as needed in different situations creates an identifiable class groupings in the contemporary world
Economic capital
money, property, or commodities at your disposal
Social capital
social relationships formed through institutional and group memberships (eg. where you work/volunteer) people you know can gain you a lot of opportunities, access to clubs and impact sporting outcomes
Cultural capital
types of knowledges, cultural goods and formalized accreditations (high cultural activity benefits sports)
Symbolic capital
resources available to an individual on the basis of honour, prestige, or recognition and represents the value an individual has within a group, institution or society
Field (t)
heirarchically arranged setting when individuals use different types of capital to compete with each other for their ranking within the field
- used to analyze social action
