Sport, Race and ethnicity

Question 1

What is social stratification?

Answer 1

Refers to the hierarchy of layers or divisions of individuals and families in a society where position is a major source of rewards

Question 2

What is Race?

Answer 2

A category of people regarded as socially distinct because they share genetically transmitted traits

Question 3

What is ethnicity?

Answer 3

The cultural heritage of a particular group

Question 4

What is a minority group?

Answer 4

A group with limited access to economic and political resources

Question 5

What does BAME stand for?

Answer 5

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic

Question 6

What is racism?

Answer 6

Actions, attitudes and social policies which are formed by beliefs about specific and distinct racial characteristics

Question 7

What is ethnocentrism

Answer 7

Ethnocentrism is the act of judging another culture based on preconceptions that are found in values and standards of one’s own culture.

Question 8

Why is the idea of race conceptually weak and difficult to operationalise?

Answer 8

. Interbreeding makes a pure racial grouping impossible
. Races are defined differently in different societies
. Skin colour is a sliding scale, not a discrete category
. As much diversity within ‘races’ as between ‘races’

Question 9

what has research shown about ‘race’?

Answer 9

The Human Genome Project shows us that ‘race’ is genetically meaningless

Question 10

Why Sports science research on ‘race’ is methodologically flawed?

Answer 10

The suggestion that black athletes are good at sprinting because of higher amount of fast twitch yet more whites cycling and swimming

Question 11

What ‘racial’ disparities are there in many aspects of UK society?

Answer 11

. Unemployment rate
. Employment mobility – lack of BAME groups in senior positions
. Health outcomes – ‘not good health’
. Educational achievement – % achieving 5 GCSEs (incl. Maths and English)
. Education participation – permanent exclusion from school
. Housing conditions – people per house

Question 12

How does Sporting success perpetuate the myth of physical differences between ‘races’?

Answer 12

. ‘Objective proof’ of physical difference

. Fosters a culture of anti-intellectualism amongst black male youth

Question 13

Why is sport not such a great leveler?

Answer 13

rags to riches tails are actually not common with the chances of success very minimal

Question 14

What does sporting success hide?

Answer 14

The commonplace reality of racism in everyday life

Question 15

How does socialisatiopn explain the prominence of certain racial groups in certain sports?

Answer 15

. Impact of longstanding belief that blacks are physically superior to whites
. Teachers encourage black pupils into sport and away from academic pursuits
. A self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 16

How do role models explain the prominence of certain racial groups in certain sports?

Answer 16

Sport provides many of the few successful role models for black youths

Question 17

What is the role of ‘race’ in UK sport for Grass roots participation?

Answer 17

. Black African (60%) and Black Other (80%) men have higher participation rates than the national average for England (54%)
. Indians (47%), Bangladeshis (46%), and Pakistanis (42%) have the lowest participation rates amongst men

Question 18

What is the role of ‘race’ in UK sport for elite participation?

Answer 18

In some sports (football, track and field, basketball) black males are considerably over-represented, whilst Asian males are considerably under-represented. (stacking)

Question 19

What is the role of ‘race’ in UK sport for Managerial and Administrative Positions?

Answer 19

Few black footballers go on to become football managers – Glass ceiling?
Team GB Coaches and officials – Coe, Woodward, Moynihan

Question 20

What is the role of ‘race’ in UK sport for Spectatorship?

Answer 20

Less than 3% of spectators in the Premier League are ‘non-white’

Question 21

What is stacking?

Answer 21

the overrepresentation of certain racial groups in certain playing positions within a sport

Question 22

How did sport and race policy develop in the Uk in the 20th century?

Answer 22

‘Sport for all’ (1970s)
‘Race’ riots (1980s)
The ‘racialisation’ of sports policy focusing on ‘deprived areas’ and ‘problem’ communities
Focus on facilities (availability, location)
Ethnic minorities as a ‘target group’

Question 23

What is the critique of the 20th century developments of sport and race polciy?

Answer 23

. Assimilation or multiculturalism
. Homogenises ethnic minorities
. Problematises the target group, not the actions of the mainstream