The impact of sport on society Flashcards
What is society?
An organised group of people involved in persistent interpersonal relationships, often a large social grouping sharing the same geographical territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
What does success in sport reflect?
On a global scale it is often viewed as an important measure of the relative status of a society or nation in the world.
For example, national identity and pride are often achieved through success at events like the olympics, the Ashes, USA vs Russia.
What is socialisation?
A lifelong process where members of a society learn its norms, values, ideas, practices and roles in order to take their place in that society.
What is primary socialisation?
Socialisation during the early years of childhood mainly within the immediate family.
The key process is internalisation of a society’s culture.
Families and early friends teach basic values and accepted behaviour patterns.
Physical exercise provides a time when they come together, either playing together or when watching a family member.
What is internalisation?
The learning of values or attitudes that are incorporated within yourself.
The individuals absorb and accept its shared norms and values.
What is secondary socialisation?
During the later years when the family is less involved and agencies of peer groups, friends and school are set up to exert more influence.
School is an important part of social development, e.g. teaching moral skills such as co-operation, teamwork and taking responsibility.
What is gender socialisation?
The act of learning to conform to culturally defined gender roles through socialisation.
Boys learn to be boys through school, friends, family, and mass media.
What is social control?
A concept that refers to the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, appearance and behaviour are regulated in social systems.
What are institutions?
An establised organisation founded for a religious, educational, professional or social purpose.
Society is made up of various institutions, with family viewed as the most basic.
They work together to ensure socialisation into society, maintaining order and social control.
What social processes constrain and limit sporting opportunities?
Historically, society has been male dominated, with restrictions placed on women engaging in sport.
Nowadays, constraints are less pronounced, although milder forms of social control exist in the form of what is deemed to be gender-appropriate behaviour.
What are examples of social control?
Mild disaproval from their husband might persuade women to limit their physical activity to what they view as respectable and therefore socially acceptable.
So they might choose badminton over rugby.
Social control from social media to look feminine and slim could also rule out certain sports requiring muscular development, e.g. boxing and weightlifting.
What effect can social pressures have on women?
Sometimes women are made to feel guilty about leaving a young baby and therefore tend to give up previous active leisure.
A lack of free time compared to men and lower disposable income can also decrease opportunities for women.
What are social processes?
Forms of interactions between individuals and groups which occur again and again.
What is social change?
It occurs when institutions readjust to meet the new needs of groups in society such as women.
It is an alteration in the social order of a society.
For example, leisure providers such as local councils offering more creche facilities to minimise the effects of traditional childcare responsibilities.
What are disabilities?
Disabilites may be physical, sensory or mental, but all potentially negatively affect participation in sport in some way.
What is overt discriminiation?
It is highly visible and could occur where there is verbal abuse aimed at individuals with a disability participating in sport.
What is covert discrimination?
It is harder to uncover and might occur when individuals at a sports club vote for their annual captain and their negative stereotypes influence them against voting for a disabled candidate.
How does disability sport occur?
It can be intergrated: able-bodied and disabled people taking part in the same activity at the same time, e.g. the London marathon.
Or segregated: People with disabilities participating separately among themselves, e.g. in the Paralympics.
What are common barriers to disability sports participation?
Negative self image or lack of confidence.
Low levels of media coverage.
Few role models to aspire to.
Myths and stereotypes about the capabilities of disabled people, lower societal expectations, safety concerns.
What are common barriers for disabled people - practicalities?
Lack of specialist equipment/coaches/clubs/competitions.
Relatively low income levels; high costs of participation such as membership fees and transport costs.
Lack of access into facilities, e,g, front desk is too high, doorways too narrow, no ramp.
Lack of organised programmes.
What solutions are there to barriers to disabled people’s participation in sport - practicalities?
Increased investment in disabled sport - subsiding it and making it more affordable.
Providing transport to facilities and improved access.
Improved technology, e.g. prosthetics and wheelchairs.
Designing activites specifically for disabled individuals, e.g. goalball and boccia for visually impaired, or modifying existing sports.
Training more specialist coaches.
What solutions are there to barriers to disabled people’s participation in sport?
Providing more opportunities for success, helping talented athletes to reach the highest level possible.
Increased media coverage.
Promoting role models to relate and aspire to.
Specialist organisation such as EFDS and Sport England supporting and co-ordinating the development of sporting opportunities.
Educating people of the myths about the capabilites of disabled people.
What is racism?
A set of beliefs or ideas based on the assumption that races have distinct hereditary characteristics that give some races an intrinsic superiority over others.
It may lead to physical or verbal abuse.
Examples are stacking and chanelling.
What is stacking?
It explains the lack of team captains from ethnic minorities.
It is based on the stereotypical assumption that ethnic minorities are more valued for their athletic prowess compared to their decision-making or leadership capabilities.
