Week 2

Question 1

Explain the sociological imagination and its application to studies of sports and movement cultures

Answer 1

the sociological imagination : individuals and society are interrelated
-what may seem like a individual problem is often impacted by broader social forces

Our environments shape who we are

The physical active body cannot be separated from its broader social context

Question 2

Understand why sports sociologists take a critical and theoretical approach

Answer 2

Critical approach: takes nothing for granted in studying social processes + often emphasizes power relations

• place social processes in their proper
  cultural, geographic, and historical contexts

Theoretical approach: theories
help us understand, interpret, and
explain the social phenomena
we observe

Question 3

Explain the concept of social constructionism and identify its application to sports and movement cultures

Answer 3

Parts of social reality (beliefs, norms and values, objects, events, concepts) are given meaning based on negotiations + interactions among society’s members

In sports: definition and meaning of a sport is socio-culturally determined, not
inherent or fixed

Example: Gender and cheerleading
Gender and field hockey

Question 4

How can we understand the
relationship between physical
culture and society?

Answer 4

1. What Relationship? Thesis: Perspective that sport is separate from the rest of society, unimpacted by power relations or politics
2. Reflection Thesis: Physical culture is a mirror of society or a product of
   society
3. Dialectical Thesis: Sports do not only reflect society, but also influence
   society. It’s a two-way street

This one aligns best with a sociological
imagination and a critical
and theoretical approach

Question 5

Define socialization

Answer 5

a process through which we learn what we must know to fit into society and contribute to its operation

process where children adapt and internalize social norms

Question 6

Understand the key aspects of a functionalist approach to socialization, including these concepts: role of sports, internalization, socializers

Answer 6

emphasis on the role that social institutions play in contributing to stability and maintaining the status quo

in sports:
- serve an important role in influencing character development and
reforming “at-risk” youth.
-almost always seen as a positive force

Internalization:
As we grow, we learn from our families, our schools, our classmates, and the media how one is expected to behave and the roles that we should play in society

Socializers:
the young athletes are the people being socialized and those in the athletes’ lives who have a major influence on them are the agents of
socialization, actually called
socializers

Question 7

Describe critical-interactionist approaches to socialization and outline the key differences between these approaches and functionalist
approaches

Answer 7

Studies of sports experiences from the perspective of participants themselves:
1. Christian athletes, sports, and competition
2. Gay male athletes’ challenges navigating social relationships
Critical- interactionist theories :
understanding sports as sites for influential experiences

Functionalist theory

Children internalize accepted roles based on the influence of socializers
v Sports as unambiguously
positive force

Question 8

Key terms, concepts and ideas

Answer 8

-sociological imagination
-critical and theoretical
approaches
-3 relationship theses: relationship
between sport and society
-social
constructionism/constructivism
-socialization: functionalist and
critical interactionist