Monica Jean-baptiste – English sample
From an assignment for my course “Ethical issues in sport”
Sport is a vast subject. Each social world has its own definition of what a sport is. A sport
can have different definitions depending on the organization and different cultures can
have their own meaning of a sport. This is why we can say that sports are social
constructions. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a social construct is an idea
that has been created and accepted by the people in a society (n.d.). By this definition, a
concept only exists because humans created it. An example that can be used is gender
roles, it is something that was accepted and created by the society. The way sports are
organized, consumed, and marketed are also social constructions. They are social
constructions because it can have different forms, different meanings and they can
change over the years. But also, the popularity is influenced by the media or the history.
In addition, they may change according to age, culture, economic class, ability, and
gender.
Firstly, sports are social constructions because they can vary by age. A child who grows
up in a family sporting environment will be more likely to continue to practice sport
compared to a child who doesn’t grow in a family sporting environment. This is how a
child can decide if sports are important or not, it all depends on his personal social
relationships. Also, there were some changes in the signification of sports, at first it was
used to build boys into men. It was socially accepted that sports were made for that
specific reason and girls couldn’t play sports as they wish. By that, we can see that it was
a sexist way to think, because they put sports in a category only for boys or men. Also, at
a young age, children see sports as something recreational or just think it is a way to have
fun. As they grow up, sports have different meanings. It can be seen as a physical activity
just to stay in shape or as a competition. There are many factors that are in play when a
child become an adolescent, they can choose to play sport depending on if it’s connected
with their interests and goals, if they have the motivation, if they have the social support
or if sports is something important in their social world (Vares, 2023). It has been
socially accepted that the older you get or the higher level you get in, the more seriously
you should take sports but even this idea is not seen in the same way for women and men.
Sports are taken more seriously for boys at a younger age than girls. It is possible to
practice a sport without necessarily wanting to practice it in a competitive environment, it
is something that is more common nowadays. There are recreational leagues just like
there are competitive leagues.
Secondly, as mentioned above, the sport changes over the years. There are new rules that
are developed and others that are removed. If we bring this aspect into the term deviance
and violence in sport, times have changed a lot. Some sports were based on violence,
some of them had the ultimate goal to kill the opponent. There are some sports today that
are focused on violence, but do not go to the point of killing your opponent, like boxing
or karate. Nevertheless, violence is still something that attracts spectators and the media
because it brings more action. Moreover, if the coach emphasizes violence, athletes may
see violence as a way to be seen by the coach. However, violence is not limited to men,
we can notice a greater participation of women in violent sports such as combat sports,
rugby, or even football. However, violent sports do not have the same impact for women
as for men.