Social Theories

Question 1

Functionalist Theory:

Answer 1

Society is an organised system of interrelated parts. Sports are studied in terms of their contributions to the system.
Research focuses on sport participation and positive outcomes for individuals and society.
Many people like it because it assumes that shared values and agreement are the basis for social order

Question 2

Weakness and Positives of Functionalist Theory:

Answer 2

+ 􏰀Promote the development and growth of organized sports
+ 􏰀Increase sport participation opportunities to foster individual development
+ 􏰀Increase the supervision and control of athletes

• 􏰀Overstates the positive consequences of sport in society - 􏰀Assumes that all social groups benefit equally from sports
• 􏰀Does not recognize that sports are social constructions that privilege or disadvantage some people more than others

Question 3

Critical theory:

Answer 3

􏰀Focuses on cultural production, power relations, & ideological struggles
􏰀Sports are social constructions that change as power relations change and as narratives and discourses change
􏰀Research focuses the meaning and organizations of sports, and on sports as sites for cultural transformation

Question 4

Weakness and Positives of Critical Theory:

Answer 4

+ Use sports to challenge and transform exploitive and oppressive practices
+ 􏰀Increase the number and diversity of sport participation opportunities
- 􏰀No clear guidelines for identifying and assessing forms of resistance and strategies for producing transformation
- 􏰀No unified strategies for dealing with social problems, conflicts, and injustice

Question 5

Interactionist theory:

Answer 5

􏰀Society is created and maintained through social interaction
􏰀Sports are studied in terms of how they are created and given meaning by people
􏰀Research focuses on how people experience sports and how identities are related to sport participation and sport cultures

Question 6

Positives and Weaknesses of Interactionist theory:

Answer 6

+ Change sports to match the perspectives and identities of those who play them
+ 􏰀Make sport organizations more democratic, less autocratic, and less hierarchically organized
- Does not explain how meaning, identity, and interaction are connected with social structures and materials conditions in society
􏰀Ignores issues of power and power relations in society and how they impact sport, sport participation, and sport experiences

Question 7

Example of Functionalist theory:

Answer 7

The establishment of the FFA and the demise of Soccer Australia can be seen to draw to the functionalist theory relating to sport. This theory acknowledges that society has many aspects, and all of these ‘aspects are dependent on one another to maintain a stable and functioning society’ (Crossman 2019, para. 1). ). Subsequently, FFA was created through the Crawford Report’s review of Australian soccer in 2003. The review showed that under the board of Soccer Australia, there was a ‘lack of strategic direction and planning’ (The Age, 8 April 2003). Subsequently, members of Soccer Australia failed to work cohesively and were ‘failing to deliver a sustainable plan for the future of soccer in Australia with poor organisation structure and financial performance’.

Question 8

Example of the Critical theory:

Answer 8

The controversy surrounding the sacking of Mr Stajcic by the FFA can be further analysed using one of the six major social theories that are used in sports society. For instance, the critical theory focuses on ‘cultural production, power relations and ideological struggles’ (Coakley et al. 2011) in sport. As such, the critical theory would detail that this controversy highlights the struggles of Mr Stajcic with his relationship with the FFA, and how the FFA’s power can disrupt changes within the sporting sector.

Question 9

Functionalist theory in FFA Cup:

Answer 9

FFA cup acts as a national tournament that helps gives a platform for individuals in all competing clubs a platform to compete and perform at the highest level (Coakley et al. 2009). In addition, this perspective can further highlight how the FFA Cup is a means of social integration (Loy & Booth 2000)
). Not only this, though the functionalist theory allows us to examine the FFA cup as a means of generating a sense of competition between clubs, as well as transmitting cultural values by uniting diverse people across the country (Delaney 2015).

Question 10

Socialization into sport is related to three factors:

Answer 10

(1) a person’s abilities and characteristics
(2) the influence of significant others, including parents, siblings, teachers, and peers
(3) the availability of opportunities to play and experience success in sports.

Question 11

The process to become and stay involved with sport is largely influenced by what factors:

Answer 11

Structural: availability of facilities, equipment, financial support, and coaching
Culture: how age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability etc. influence the meaning of being a sports competitor

Question 12

There are many reasons for a person’s involvement in sport and this reflects on:

Answer 12

When people become involved;
When and why people drop out from sports;
Level of competition or involvement in sports;
Change factors that impact on sports participation; and
Injury, victimisation, exploitation or ending career.

Question 13

The growth of Youth Sports:

Answer 13

An increase in the number of single parent families and families with both parents working outside the home.
An emerging neo-liberal view that parents are solely responsible for controlling and socializing their children and that child development is shaped primarily by parenting strategies.
A longstanding cultural belief that sport participation automatically involves positive character-building experiences.
A media-inspired belief among many parents that the world outside the home is a dangerous place for children.

Question 14

There are clear ways in which youth sports are changing. These changes involve:

Answer 14

The expense associated with organised sports
The increased emphasis on the ‘performance ethic
An increase in the number of elite sports training centres has emerged
More involvement from parents in their child’s participation and success
The increased participation in alternative sports

Question 15

Sociology is the

Answer 15

study of the social worlds that people create, organise, maintain and change through their relationships with each other

Question 16

Culture definition:

Answer 16

the shared ways of life and shared understandings that people develop as they live together

Question 17

Social interaction:

Answer 17

people taking each other into account and, in the process,

influencing each other’s feelings, thoughts and action

Question 18

Social Structure:

Answer 18

the established patters of relationships and social arrangements that take shape as people live, work and play with each other

Question 19

Ideologies are

Answer 19

webs of ideas and beliefs that people use to give meaning to the world and make sense of their experiences

Question 20

Socialisation:

Answer 20

involves formation of ideas about who we are & what is important in our lives
– occurs as we interact with others
– is an active process of learning & social development

Question 21

Deviance

Answer 21

occurs when a person’s ideas, traits or actions are perceived by others to fall outside their normal range of acceptance in a society

Question 22

Formal and informal deviance:

Answer 22

FD: violations of official rules and laws that are punished by official sanctions administered by authorities.
ID: violations of unwritten customs and shared understanding that are punished by unofficial sanctions administered by observers or peers.

Question 23

Using cultural theory to understand deviance:

Answer 23

1. Deviance is controlled by enforcing the rules more strictly
2. Deviance is cause by faulty socialisation
3. Conformity is equated with morality
4. Deviance involves the rejection of accepted of goals in society

Question 24

Using Interactionist Theory to understand deviance:

Answer 24

• Most deviance in sport is not due to the moral bankruptcy of athletes
• Much deviance in sports involves over conformity to established norms in sports
• Sport deviance is understood in terms of the normative context of sport cultures and the emphasis on “the sport ethic”

Question 25

For and Against Drug Testing:

Answer 25

+ Protects participants’ health
• Guarantees fairness and level playing field
• Part of normal law enforcement - drugs illegal

• Competitors and manufacturers can stay one step ahead
  •Violates privacy rights
  •Testing expensive and drains resources
  •Ineffective for synthetic versions of natural substances
  •Push more competitors toward genetic engineering

Question 26

Violence in Sports Through History:

Answer 26

• Research shows that violence was more severe in the past. (On the field and off the field.)
• Rates of sports violence have not automatically increased
over time.
• Violence in sports remains a crucial social issue today. (Sports violence can serve to reproduce an ideology of male privilege.)

Question 27

Participation by girls and women is sports has increased significantly over the past 40 years. Reasons for increased participation include:

Answer 27

Increased opportunity through the establishment of teams and competitions for girls as well as a greater share of resources.
Government legislation has mandated equal rights which has created opportunity for girls to play sport.
The global women’s right movement has emphasised the benefits of sport to girls as well as facilitating the opportunity and time for women and girls to become involved in sport.
The health and fitness movement has created awareness and encourage women to become active to improve their health and wellbeing
Increased media coverage of women in sports has occurred, aiding in legitimising sport for girls and creating images and possibilities.

Question 28

Australian Sports Commission standards regarding females in sport:

Answer 28

the ASC’s position is each NSO should seek to achieve a target of 40 per cent representation of females on their boards over a similar timeframe [2015], which the ASC will review pending progress and the overall skills mix of boards.

Question 29

Reasons why female participation in sport has struggled:

Answer 29

Budget cuts and the privatisation of sports programs where the programs for girls can often be overlooked when this occurs.
Resistance to government legislation as being too imposing on people’s lives.
Backlash where people resent changes that threaten dominant gender ideology. Some people resent the fact that women can become empowered through sport opportunities.
Under-representation of women in decision-making positions in sports which can restrict opportunity.