pre-industrial britain (s+c factors that affected sports)

Question 1

what are the 7 social and cultural factors that shaped the characteristics of sports and pastimes?

Answer 1

• social class
• law and order
• gender
• education
• availability of time
• availability of money
• availability of transport

Question 2

what are the two classes of pre-industrial britain?

Answer 2

upper class and lower class

Question 3

what are characteristics of lower class sports?

Answer 3

• often cruel or violent
• simple unwritten rules
• occasional/annual
• simple/natural
• local

Question 4

what are characteristics of upper class sports?

Answer 4

• civilised/sophisticated
• complex rules
• regular
• specialist
• regional

Question 5

what’s a similarity between upper class and lower class sports during this time?

Answer 5

they were both male dominated

Question 6

which class had considerably more opportunity and provision?

Answer 6

upper class

Question 7

what are characteristics of pre-industrial britain?

Answer 7

• rural countryside
• society was split into classes: upper and lower
• minimal law and order
• women were seen as the “weaker sex” and had fewer rights in society
• limited transport
• religion was strongly followed

Question 8

what was mob football, what was it like and who took part in it?

Answer 8

• was a mass game with few rules and equipment
• the earliest form of football and rugby
• violent
• played by lower class males

Question 9

what type of animal baiting, hunting, and fighting did each class take part in?

what is a characteristic of this sport/pastime?

Answer 9

lower class: bare knuckle fighting, dog fighting

upper class: cock fighting, fox hunting

• no laws to limit violence or animal cruelty

Question 10

what are characteristics of real tennis and who played it?

Answer 10

• first form of tennis originating in france
• very complicated rules, only understood by the educated
• large elaborate venue
• long-lasting game
• played by the upper class only

Question 11

what are characteristics of cricket and who played it?

Answer 11

• often associated with public houses (pubs)
• plenty of space for cricket ovals due to rural land
• mostly upper class but different roles allowed lower class to play

upper class: batted

lower class: took on the role of bowling

Question 12

what are characteristics of pedestrianism and who played it?

Answer 12

• it was competitive race walking
• upper class would get on their own footmen
• participated by all classes, but different roles

lower class: participated

upper class: we’re the sponsors

Question 13

what are characteristics of the holy day fair/wake and who played it?

Answer 13

• a range of events that brought the whole village together
• took part in religious holidays, as this was the only free time for the working class
• there were speedster events for women e.g. archery for upper class
• activities involved: drinking contests, catching pigs and animal baiting

Question 14

when was your social class decided?

Answer 14

at birth

Question 15

how did social class affect sport?

Answer 15

• different classes took part in different activities
• or different classes at different roles/positions
• social class affected access to sports. e.g. time, money, transport
• the nature of some activities, reflected the class. e.g. simple, violent, limited rules for lower class

Question 16

how did gender affect sports?

Answer 16

• lack of gender equality in society
• women seen as the weaker sex
• lower participation in sport in women
• different genders took part in different activities
• women had less time to play sports

Question 17

how did law and order affect sports?

Answer 17

• minimal law and order in society
• lack of police force to enforce laws
• many sports had limited rules and regulations
• rules were localised
• nothing was illegal

Question 18

how did education and literacy affect sports?

Answer 18

• upper class boys were educated and literate
• working class females were generally illiterate
• working class could only play simple sports with limited rules, upper class could play more sophisticated games
• working class had unwritten rules, upper class had written rules

Question 19

how did availability of time affect sports?

Answer 19

lower class worked long hours (75 hours a week) whereas upper class had lots of free time

• lower class had no time to participate due to long working hours, upper class had lots of time to participate due to little/no working hours
• lower class had no energy after long working hours
• lower class could only participate on bank holidays which there were few of

Question 20

how did availability of money affect sports?

Answer 20

• upper-class could afford: sports requiring expensive equipment and specialised facilities, or transport to get there
• lower class had to use natural facilities and equipment

Question 21

how did availability and type of transport affect sports?

Answer 21

• upper class used horse and cart
• lower class walked
• lower class had to play locally, upper class could play wherever
• Lower class, sports couldn’t have league/cups, upper-class sports could
• Lower class sports didn’t have standardised rules, upper class did
• upper class built sports facilities at home to avoid travelling on poor roads