Assumptions?
Introduction

Assumptions are part of critical thinking and critical analysis. To be a
competent critical analyser you need to be able to identify assumptions
people are making when commenting on incidents or issuses. Eg.
- What assumptions does the fitness industry make about our bodies?
- How does the fitness industry socially construct bodies?
- Is the fitness industry a vested interest group when it comes to
controlling and constructing people’s bodies?
- How does the fitness industry use exercise science?
Introduction
Scientism,
technocentricity, healthism, the
body as a project and commodification are
sociological themes that arise from
assumptions about bodies. They are tools
for analysis for deconstructing how we
view people and bodies and sport.
Understanding Social Construction

A social construction, or social construct, is an idea which may appear to
be natural and obvious to those who accept it, but in reality is an
invention of a particular culture or society.

The implication is that social constructs are human choices rather than
laws of nature (eg. Money)
Social Construction Examples

Obvious social constructions are:
- Games / Sports
- Language
- Money
- School Grades
- Societal systems (Laws & Justice, Education, Health etc)

Less obvious social constructions are:
- Gender, Race, Religion, Sexuality, Body image
View the world with ‘fresh eyes’
Understand multiple perspectives
Understanding social construction
Will position you to be able to notice and question / challenge
assumptions, stereotypes, taken-for-granted views and practices
and their consequences.
What are Assumptions?

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is an
awareness of assumptions.

An assumption is an idea or proposed meaning that is taken for
granted, as if it were true.

Assumptions are often based upon beliefs that have not had
careful consideration of and reflection on all the facts.

They become taken for granted over time and they become our
‘default thinking’ and we begin to accept them as true.

There can be implications of accepting assumptions in an
unquestioning manner.
Step 1:
Identify the
assumption
What are the influences
on the development and
maintenance of this
assumption?
What/who has
influenced
me/us to think
this?
ASSUMPTION
What are the influences
and outcomes of “buying
into” this assumption?
What are the messages
I/we get?
Assumptions relating to the body, physical
activity & sport

Scientism

Technocentricity

Healthism

Body as a Project

Commodification

Vested Interest Groups
What do we know?
In groups articulate

Scientism

Technocentricity

Healthism

Body as a Project

Commodification

Vested Interest Groups
Scientism

When science is seen as the only means of establishing meaning and
understanding
CRITIQUE of SCIENTISM
Those who buy into scientism ignore the social, political, environmental,
ethical, economic, cultural and historical (SPEEECH) influences on the
individual, their hauora and lives. Those things that can‘t always be
measured.

Technocentricity

The application of scientism to movement contexts.

Technocentricity is the body professions (i.e. coaches, PE teachers, sport
scientists, coaches and the fitness industry trainers etc) common
understanding which relies on scientific approaches to enhance
performance in sport. It treats the body as a machine, to be measured
and analysed with an end point of improving human performance.

This view of the body often tends to ignore the idea that people have
other dimensions to their identity other than the physical – that is the
emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social.
Healthism

Healthism is closely related to technocentricity.

It is a set of assumptions, based on the belief that health is solely an individual
responsibility.

It embraces the concept of the body as a machine that must be maintained and
kept in tune in a similar way to a car or motorbike. It ignores all the social,
political, environmental, economic, ethical, cultural and historical influences on
individual health.

E.g. The fitness industry promotes healthism, as it has a vested interest in
promoting the view that people‘s bodies are exclusively their responsibility and
that people need to keep their body tuned up like a motor vehicle or machine.

Also consider Government initiatives.
Body as a Project
The body as a project is the assumption or view of the body where it is
seen as an object to be manipulated, modelled and sculpted into a mostly
unobtainable societal perfection.
 In western culture there is a tendency for the body to be seen as an entity
that is in the process of becoming a project, which should be worked at
and accomplished as part of an individual identity.


This assumes that bodies are significant and are used as personal
resources and social symbols which communicate messages about a
persons self identity and social standing in society.
Commodification

‘To become a commodity, a product must be transferred to another, whom it
will serve as a use value, by means of exchange’

In sport, athletes, their bodies and teams have a use value. This is most
obvious in professional sport where whole teams and individuals are bought.

Sponsorship is also about the commodification of athletes bodies and sports
teams. Corporate sponsors give money to athletes and in accepting money an
athlete “owes a performance”.

Players have become commodities to nations, to regions, to clubs.

What are the implications of this way of thinking??