Socio Cultral Factors (PAPER 2) Flashcards
There are five factors that affect participation rates in physical activity and sport. These are:
Gender
Age
Socio-economic Factors
Ethnicity
Disability
Gender
Gender affects participation with more boys and men involved in physical activity and sport than girls and women.
Social stereotyping is a major reason why fewer girls and women get involved in physical activity and sport.
Until 1972 women were not allowed to compete in distances over 800m as it was seen as “too strenuous”
Nowadays women’s sport is more recognised, but there are still differences in participation & accessibility & funding.
gender case study:
Launched in January 2015, ‘This Girl Can’ is a nationwide campaign to increase participation in women and girls, regardless of shape, size and ability.
how can gender affect participation?
Social stereotyping is a major reason why fewer girls and women get involved in physical activity and sport.
42% avoid exercise when they have their period
35% don’t take part because they are not confident
34% don’t take part because they don’t like being watched
age
Participation in sport and physical activity tends to peak between 16-25 age range.
This is because this is the age when people have most free time.
Engaging young people is crucial, because those who are actively involved at an early age are more likely to participate throughout their lives- This is the major reason why school and youth sport receives a lot of funding
How can ageing affect participation?
Physical changes caused by ageing can have a huge impact on participation e.g osteoporosis & osteoarthritis
People of all ages can and should, exercise regularly to improve their physical, emotional & social well-being.
Many people change the type of physical they are involved in as they get older and take up less impact sports
age case study:
active ageing
Active Ageing is a Sport England fund that supports new sports projects for older people.
They have invested up to £10 million of National Lottery money into 20 projects across England that are working to reduce the number of inactive older adults.
The projects they funding are also using sport and activity to help tackle other problems older adults face such as poor mental health, dementia, loneliness caused by bereavement, and addiction.
Socio-economic groups
Taking part in physical activity and sport comes with a financial cost.
For example - buying equipment, paying membership, travelling to and from training.
People who have highly paid jobs and a lot of disposable income are more likely to participate in physical activity and sport.
People who work in lower paid jobs or are unemployed may have very little disposable income are less likely to participate
cheap vs expensive sports impact on socio-econimc groups
Participation decreases among people lower on the socio-economic scale, in expensive sports.
For example sports such as skiing, rowing and horse riding.
In contrast, sports like football and basketball are often popular because it does not cost a lot of money to participate.
socio-econimic case study:
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford MBE started playing for Man U at age 7. His mum was a single-parent and they did not have a lot of disposable income. His professional career has given him the opportunity to become very wealthy, and he has used his platform to help children that are in the same situation he was as a child, helping provide meals.
ethnicity
While it can appear that in professional sport, there are athletes from all different ethnicities, there is still racism and prejudice
The numbers of captains, managers and coaches from ethnic minority backgrounds is increasing, but is still at a relatively low level.
These prejudices against people from ethnic minority groups often results in people shying away from participating.
ethnicity case study
Initiatives that tackle prejudice, like ‘Sporting Equals’ and the Football Association’s ‘Kick it Out’ and ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, are fighting for equal opportunities for all and educating the public about acceptable behaviour
disability
Disability is defined by the government as a physical or mental impairment that has substantial and long term negative effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal daily activities.
NGBs make efforts to ensure their sports are accessible to all and participation rates of people with disabilities are on the increase.
barriers for people with disability
The barriers that affect the ability of people with disabilities to take part include a limited number of coaches and teachers with necessary qualifications and not all local facilities have been fully adapted.
disability case study
Paralympics The increased media coverage and popularity of the London 2012 Paralympics is a sign that achievements of sportspeople with disabilities are beginning to be recognised and celebrated publically.
