chapter
18
Sociological Aspects of Sport
Mary Jo Kane
Introduction
• Discipline called sport sociology
Nearly 40 years
• Gaining an in-depth awareness
– Social
– Political
– Economic
Defining Sport Sociology
• Coakley (2004)
Subdiscipline of sociology that studies sports as parts
of social and cultural life
• Theories and concepts
– Examine organizations and microsystems
– Examine subcultures
– Examine social patterns, structures, and groups
(continued)
Defining Sport Sociology (continued)
• Underlying assumption
A critically important institution
• Fundamental goal
– Describe patterns of participation
– Describe social concerns
• Ultimate concern
Understanding and meaning of sport as a social,
political, and economic institution
Role of Theory
in Understanding Sport
• Making important connections
– Among facts and phenomena
– Organize them into meaningful patterns or explanations
– Help us make sense of the world
• Principal aim
To describe, explain, and predict human behavior
Social Significance of Sport
• Vast resources invested
– Licensed sport products
– Broadcast rights
– Advertising
• On- and off-court behavior
– Gang and date rape
– Violence and aggression
– Drug use and abuse
(continued)
Social Significance of Sport
(continued)
• Positive consequences
Unifier of people
• Negative consequences
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Sexism
Racism
Homophobia
Violence
(continued)
Social Significance of Sport
(continued)
• Vehicle for social change
Sport has incredible power to serve as a vehicle for
social change
Benefits of Sport
• Socializing agent
• Unifier of people
Sport As a Socializing Agent
• Socialization process
Society’s dominant values, attitudes, and beliefs are
passed down from generation to generation
• Role learning
Young children learn to think and behave by various
social roles available to them
(continued)
Sport As a Socializing Agent
(continued)
• Mastering critical social skills
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Responsible neighbor
Productive student and coworker
Loyal friend
Companion
• Involvement in sport as spectators or
participants
Sport As a Unifier of People
• Gives people a sense of personal identity
• Group membership and social identification
• Cuts across race, class, gender, age
• Linkages to transcend tension and conflict
• Brings individuals together as team members
The Dark Side of Sport
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Eating disorders
Sexism in sport
Leadership roles
Media coverage of women’s sports
Homophobia and heterosexism in sport
Racism in sport
Violence in sport
Eating Disorders
• How big is the problem?
– 7 million women
– 1 million men
• Some groups more at risk
– Especially true for females
– Bombarded with images and message that “thin is
perfect”
• Need to evaluate studies carefully
Sexism in Sport
Differences between men and women
• Athletic scholarships offerings
• Athletic budgets
• Access to facilities
• Salaries for coaches and administrators
Leadership Roles
• Coaching positions in women’s athletics
– In 1972, 90% female head coaches
– In 2004, 44% female head coaches
– In 2004, 8,500 coaching positions, majority filled by
men
– In 2004, 2% female coaches in men’s athletics
(continued)
Leadership Roles (continued)
• Administrative positions in women’s athletics
– Before Title IX, 90% women
– In 2004, 18.5% women
Media Coverage of Women’s Sports
• Amount of coverage
– In 2004, 6.3% of total sports television coverage
– In 2000, 5 to 10 times less than men in print
coverage
• Types of coverage
– Referring to female athletes as “hotties”
– Soft pornography (figure 18.2)
– Sports Illustrated
Homophobia and Heterosexism
in Sport
• Definition
A universal fear or intolerance toward gay men,
lesbians, and bisexuals
• Females
– Athletes at risk
– Coaches at risk
• Males
– Particularly oppressive and intolerant
– Historical role of sport
Racism in Sport
• Stacking
– Professional players
– Managers in professional sports
– Leadership in intercollegiate athletes
• Racial stereotypes
– Natural abilities
– Sports media coverage
– Biological and cultural destiny
Violence in Sport
• Physical and sexual assaults
Seven examples in textbook
• Question: Why is this happening?
(continued)
Violence in Sport (continued)
• Possible answer: glorification
Encourages men to equate their hyperphysicality with
behavior that demeans, intimidates, and sexualizes
others
• Possible cause: mainstream sport media
Offer mixed messages
(continued)
Violence in Sport (continued)
• Dominant themes of televised sports
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Masculinity
Televised sports manhood formula
Winners have strength, speed, power, and guts
Ruthlessly aggressive men win
Passive or weaker men lose
Sport As a Vehicle
for Social Transformation
• Catalyst for change
– Reinforce with appropriate social values
– Instill individuals with a deep-seated commitment to
make important and long-lasting contributions to
society
(continued)
Sport As a Vehicle
for Social Transformation (continued)
• Examples
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Jackie Robinson
Other minority professional athletes
Turbulent 1960s
Magic Johnson
Women’s participation
Challenging homophobic beliefs and practices
Implications for Sport Managers
• Knowing about people
– Snyder (1990)
– Get people involved
• Taking the proactive approach
– Adherence to sport and exercise
– Get more women interested