sport + society

Question 1

Define feudal system

Answer 1

A type of social and political system in which landholders provide land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and service

Question 2

Define popular recreation

Answer 2

Sport and leisure activities that were common among people of Britain before the Industrial Revolution

Question 3

Define patron

Answer 3

A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organisation or cause

Question 4

Identify the socio-cultural factors/ characteristics of Pre-industrial Britain

Answer 4

•largely rural society
•largely agricultural society
•limited communication/ transport
•illiteracy
•cruel/ violent
•limited free time
•two tier society (lower and upper)

Question 5

Link the characteristics of Pre-industrial Britain to popular recreation activities of the time

Answer 5

Land was used for crops and post-harvest provided a natural space to play; a period of free time would follow the months of labour. Peasants worked for long hours and had limited time to pursue leisure activities.

Question 6

Link popular recreation characteristics to what class participated in the activity

Answer 6

Mob football (working class):
•occasional - festivals/ holy days
•played locally - transport
•used natural resources available
•basic rules - illiteracy
•rules set locally - communication
•aggressive, mainly males - cruel/ violent
•upper class watch and bet

Athletics (servants):
•compete to be a messenger
•upper class bet
•upper class with fastest servant have increased status
•upper class set up races, provide prize money - patrons

Real tennis (upper class):
•better facilities
•not violent
•more rules
•more time
•transport

Question 7

Define rational recreation

Answer 7

Sports that were designed by the middle classes for the lower classes to be well-ordered and more organised

Question 8

Identify the characteristics of recreation

Answer 8

•respectful
•regionally, nationally, regularly played
•codification
•skills/ tactics based
•referees/ officials
•purpose built facilities

Question 9

Describe the introduction and structure of the Wenlock Olympic Games

Answer 9

•formed by Dr William Penny Brookes
•competition set up to promote a moral, physical and intellectual improvement to sport
•1896 - first international Olympic Games in Athens

Question 10

Define urbanisation

Answer 10

Migration from rural to towns/ cities

Question 11

Describe the socio-cultural factors of Britain in the late 19th century

Answer 11

•health and hygiene improved - less disease, more energy for sport
•gradual increase in wages and free time - more time, spare money for sport
•development of the middle class - self-made people who took business opportunities in industrialised Britain, made sport more respectable and high moral code, strict rules, leagues/comps, provided facilities and parks, time off work
•values of athleticism - moral code - work best of your ability - spread to lower classes
•industrial patronage - factory sport teams etc
•transport and communication improvements - papers, roads, trains
•cheaper to travel - participate and spectate

Question 12

Explain how the key features of urbanisation contributed to the development of sport during the late 19th century

Answer 12

•lack of space - no mob football - facilities made
•large working class population:
-more participation - more sports and facilities
-needed entertainment - more spectating
•loss of traditional sports - made new sports (codified)
•change in working conditions - free time, money - afford to watch or participate

Question 13

Explain how the improvement of the railway system’s influenced the development of sport in the late 19th century

Answer 13

•movement of teams/spectators - nation wide fixtures - regular
•access different parts of the country - leagues
•cheaper train travel - working class follow teams and heroes home and away
•improved access to countryside - rambling/walking

Question 14

Define philanthropists

Answer 14

Empathy and concern for working class

Question 15

Define codification

Answer 15

Development of strict rules

Question 16

Explain how the emergence of the middle class impacted on the development of rational recreation

Answer 16

•codification - the development of strict rules as public school and university old boys formed many national governing bodies of sport
•competitions - the development of leagues and competitions via middle class involvement in public schools/universities/clubs/NGBs/factory teams/church teams
•public provision - the development of public facilities via middle class ‘philanthropists’, factory owners, the church, the passing of government acts in their role as local politicians
•increased leisure time - as middle class factory owners, they gradually gave their workers more leisure time which allowed more time to watch sport or to participate in sport
•move to ‘professionalism’ - the middle class helped in the development of early commercial/professional sport

Question 17

Explain how the development of sport spread through the British Empire

Answer 17

An important part of the British Empire where school boys and university boys, they spread sport through the British Empire in many ways:
•As teachers: they developed teams and taught traditional sporting values in schools throughout the Empire.
•As industrialists/ factory owners: they set up teams and gave workers time off to play competitive sport nationally and internationally.
• As clergy: they developed church teams or became missionaries and took sport abroad which was good for social control and morality.
•As officers in the British army: they used sport with the armed services and spread sport throughout the empire.
• As diplomats: they travelled the world and took sport with them, for example, football and cricket. They formed the national governing bodies of sport which codified sports and established leagues and competitions which spread internationally as well as nationally.

Question 18

Analyse what impact improved communications had on the development of sport

Answer 18

• improved education - higher literacy - improved reading/writing
•newspapers developed - increased knowledge and awareness of sport e.g. fixtures and results printed
•led to role models due to reading about their favourite players scoring etc
•the church - created Sunday school teams, fixtures - facilities for parishioners to play in, development of YMCA - health body/healthy mind link, encouraged social control - improve behaviour, promote Christian values - clergy come into contact with wider community

Question 19

Explain the factors that led to the emergence of national governing bodies during the 19th century. What impact did NGB’s have on the development of rational sport?

Answer 19

•sport became more popular - more participation
•more teams
•more national and international fixtures organised
•leagues/comps required for teams to compete in
•codification/single set rules required for fairness
•to control professionalism and early commercialisation of sport
•public provision:
-poor living conditions, disease, pollution - industrialisation
-developed public baths - 1846
-2nd half of 19th century - more provision
-1st and 2nd class bath house facilities to reflect social class
-plunge baths developed - swim/ recreational use
-involvement in positive physical activity - social control of working class
-kept them away from drinking and violence
-workers became healthier = greater productivity

Question 20

Define amateur

Answer 20

Participating in sport for the love of the game rather than for monetary gain

Question 21

Define professional

Answer 21

A sporting activity that is engaged in for financial gain or as a means of a livelihood

Question 22

Describe the characteristics of 19th century amateurism

Answer 22

•manliness - physical endeavour
•appreciating value of health and fitness
•appreciating value of rule regulated activity
•high moral integrity - sponsorship/ fair play

Question 23

Compare the characteristics of the 19th century ‘Gentleman Amateur’ and the ‘working class professional’

Answer 23

Gentleman amateur:
•upper/middle class
•wealthy
•lots of free time
•high mortality - emphasis on taking part
•didn’t get paid

Working Class professional:
•working class
•poor
•little free time - long working hours
•low morals - winning was all that was important - open to bribes/would cheat to win
•broken time payments - established to compensate for loss of earnings whilst working classes were playing sports, led to professionalism in association football and rugby league

Question 24

Explain the positive impacts of a 19th century gentleman amateur

Answer 24

•elite sport run by and dominated by upper and middle classes - high status in sport and society
•code of amateurism - based on playing sport to clearly set rules - put in place by middle and upper classes
•code of ethics - moral values
•belonging to the social elite - wealth and free time meant could play for fun rather than money
•participation in sport - more important than winning, character building, god given abilities, no training (professionalism frowned upon)
•all-rounder

Question 25

Why were the working classes restricted from participating in amateur sport?

Answer 25

•clear class division
•middle/upper classes controlled sport
•working classes couldn’t afford the cost/time of taking part
•amateurism is an upper/middle class ethic
•membership restrictions from clubs/exclusion clauses (rowing)
•lack of public provision/state school provision

Question 26

Explain the positive impacts of a 19th century working class professional on sport development

Answer 26

•has to be paid for time off work when representing factory team
•early professionals paid according to results so standard of performance increased due to dedicated training
•professionals larger wage than normal working class
•development of professionalism, commercialisation and media coverage
•earning money from sport seen as an avenue of social mobility - created determination to succeed

Question 27

Compare the characteristics of the 19th and 20th century gentleman amateur with the modern day amateur

Answer 27

20th century: high status, controllers of sport, top performers, highly moral

modern day amateurs: lower status - professionals have increased status, high level performers not necessarily professional (gymnastics/boxing), less likelihood of exclusion - more equal, can receive finance through sponsorship, train, can be from any class

Question 28

Explain the positives of modern day amateurism

Answer 28

•codes of amateurism still evident in British sport e.g. via fair play and sportsmanship
•viewed positively and promoted e.g. fair play awards in football, shake hands prior to and end of contests
•sports like Rugby Union maintained amateurism till late into 20th century and still have codes of conduct based on such principles e.g. calling the ref ‘Sir’

Question 29

Explain how professionalism has changed now in modern day sport

Answer 29

•high levels of skill
•high status
•all classes
•more time to train - full time
•commercialism - media coverage, investment
•can be from any social class
•more respect for their talents
•higher profile/ media coverge/role models
•professionals used to just be working class who had a lower status
•social class not as big a barrier to participation
•society values materialism more today