Chapter 15
Sport
Lonnie Roy, Bri Steinmetz,
Ashley Broderick, Claire Ouimet, Erica Morasse
Period 4
Sociology
The Nature of Sport
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Sport: a set of competitive
activities in which winners and
losers are determined by physical
performance within a set of
established rules.
Contests are not sports: doesn’t
involve rules or standardized
conditions
Sport is an additional social
institution: helps people identify
with society
Sport plays dominant role in U.S.
society because reflects culture’s
importance in achievement.
“Winning is not everything. It is
the only thing.” –Vince Lombardi
 Men dominate the world
of sports and have many
more opportunities than
women do, equality is a
far reach.
 Sport Subculture: a
group within the larger
context of sport that has
some of its own distinct
roles, values, and
norms.
 Michael Smith:
Subculture of Violence
 Subcultures exist in nonteam sports as well.
Theoretical Perspectives
and Sport
 Functionalism- Focus on the benefits of
sport and think it is necessary for society
to run smoothly
 Some drawbacks are identified: violence and
cheating
•Conflict Theory- Sport is a
social institution in which
the most powerful oppress,
manipulate, coerce, and
exploit others
Theoretical Perspectives
and Sport Continued
 Symbolic Interactionism- personal
meanings, social relationships, and selfidentity processes
 Gary Alan Fine studied Little League baseball
•Values of hard work and
competition misinterpreted
as toughness, and
masculine values of
dominance
•More aggressive player are
praised more and weaker
players lose respect among
others and often lose selfesteem
Sport and Social Mobility
 Many people use sports
as a way to work their
way out of poverty
 Upward social mobilityCollege athletes tend to
be better educated, earn
more money, and have
higher occupational
prestige than their
fathers
 People argue that sports
are a social escalator for
minorities
 Ex: Venus and Serena
Williams
Sport and Racism
 Stacking- players are
assigned to less central
positions on the basis of
race or ethnicity
 African Americans have
lower average salaries
than whites for the same
level of performance
 Minority former athletes
profit much less than
white athletes from
personal appearances
and commercial
endorsements
Sexism in Sports
 It all started with the
ancient Greeks and the
view of Goddesses
 Females were told that
playing sports made them
unfeminine
 People argued that sports
harmed a woman’s health
mostly her ability to have
children
 Women in professional
sports get paid
substantially less than
men
Activity
Class Baseball:
The class will be divided into two teams and each
team will have a chance to be “up to bat”,
which means that they will each take turns
answering questions and once they get three
“outs” or incorrect answers the other team will
be up to bat. Each correct answer is worth one
run and the team with the most runs at the end
wins.
Picture Links
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http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/73928483.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9C
F19318A31BE3974C4F050CD9241C41D438F8284831B75F48EF45
http://www.we-town.com/wp-content/plugins/yet-anotherphotoblog/cache/baseball_pic_edited.9gzwcir5o8gs44wo4kc80cccs.6ylu316ao144c8c4woosog
48w.th.jpeg
http://www.astor-theatre.com/images/ben-hur/chariot3.jpeg
http://www.maniacworld.com/hockey-fight.jpg
http://www.hbo.com/docs/img/programs/jockey/506x316/506x316_jockey.jpg
http://obrienbaseball.com/images/baseball_firstbase.jpg
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/results.aspx?qu=Baseball+Diamond&sc=20
http://legacydirect.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/mia-hamm.jpg
http://assets.espn.go.com/media/nba/2000/0213/photo/s_mjordon.jpg
http://images.teamtalk.com/08/07/800x600/Wimbledon-2008-Final-PreviewSerena-Venus-Wil_1003124.jpg
http://www.parkridgecommunities.com/photos/album/slides/Tennis%20Court2.jpg
Group Responsibilities
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Lonnie Roy: Section 2 of Powerpoint
Bri Steinmetz: Section 3 of Powerpoint
Ashley Broderick: Section 1 of Powerpoint, Rules for Activity
Claire Ouimet: Activity Powerpoint with Questions
Erica Morasse: Quiz Handout