Sport and Social Stratification- Lecture 4

Question 1

Key Reading: Ramon Spaaij
Sport and Social Inequalities

Answer 1

Gender is arguably the most visible site of inequality within sport- organised itself with ideas of the patriarchy and heteronormativity.
Organised around hierarchies that value men and heterosexuals
Race: the myth of natural talent- racial stacking/ viewing

Question 2

Explain the concept of sports being stratified across an axis?

Answer 2

Social groups: gender, class ect
Sports
Tiers: usually white men at the top
National Contexts: a range of quantitative accounts that exist and support these points

Question 3

Ideas surrounding ethnicity and diversity within sport?

Answer 3

The Institute of Diversity and Ethics
(TIDES)
Produce a score card annually on men and women’s participation

Question 4

Ideas surrounding Gender and Sport?

Answer 4

Sport England’s insight report “Go Where the Women Go” 2021- indicated that men are more likely than women to play sport on a weekly basis- almost a 10% disparity.

DEpartment for Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS)
Conducted a taking part survey- women are more likely to take part in Yoga ect

Question 5

Ideas surrounding Social Class and Sport?

Answer 5

The Sutton Trust : Elitist Britain - the educational backgrounds of Britain’s leading people in 2019
1/3 of the medal winners in 2012 went to independent schools

Question 6

What does Cunningham state the three main forms of bias are within sport?

Answer 6

1. Stereotypes= beliefs about the attributes, skills and attitudes a certain person holds
2. Prejudice= differential hierarchal evaluation of a social group
3. Discrimination= negative/ unfair treatment of social groups

Question 7

How has the image of the black athlete became discriminated against ?

Answer 7

1.Physical- the black athlete has become a metaphor for physical performance

2.Cognitive- the black athlete as lacking mental agility and strategic acumen- impulsive

3.Behavioural- the black athlete as animalistic and temperamental
(Vs the White athlete- presented as respectful and the epitome of sportsmanship )

Bradbury (2018)= “sport is receptive to and productive of racial meanings and is the site in which social relations between people have become structured”

Question 8

How have women became badly represented in the media/ sexism?

Answer 8

Hegemonic masculinity has became the operating principle of sports- male dominance in senior positions.
1.Low levels of coverage of women’s sport in print and broadcast media
2.Questioning sports competence of women
3.Trivialisation of sporting achievements of women- male tennis starts are not asked to perform twirls- ‘human interest’ stories and sexualisation
4.Sexual objectification of women athletes for the male gaze- through commentary and intrusive photography

Question 9

What did Jeanes et.al state about the media coverage of women? (2016)

Answer 9

“Media coverage has historically been a major contributor to perceptions of sports limited relevance to women and the lack of value and worth attributed to women’s engagement and involvement in sport’ (Jeanes et al 2016: 143)”

Question 10

What are the three key points relating to sporting stratification?

Answer 10

-Sport as a site of partial diversity and highly stratified
(Different levels of participation and representation)

-Sport not divorced from, but embedded within wider hierarchal systems of inequality
(Receptive and productive of exclusion and bias)

-Highly racialised, gendered and classed
(Impacts the ways in which marginalised groups are perceived)