THEMES
• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT ARE
ESSENTIAL, NOT PERIPHERAL, TO HUMAN
EXISTENCE.
• SPORT IS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION AND
THUS DOES NOT STAND ISOLATED. IT
NECESSARILY INFLUENCES AND IS
INFLUENCED BY OTHER SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.
• SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MEAN
MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO MANY
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
• As parts of cultures, sports have forms and
meanings, which vary from one group and
society and over time as groups and
societies change.
• Eg. Sumo/wwe; nasimith/nba
• It is important to know about these cultural
and historical differences when we study
sports as parts of social life. !!
B. SOCIETY
• SOCIETY – A collection of people living in a
defined geographical territory and united through
a political system and a shared sense of selfidentification that distinguishes them from other
people.
• SPORTS ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS –
Aspects of the social world created by people as
they interact with each other and live their lives in
connection with social, political, and economic
processes in particular societies.
• Eg. Soccer, rugby, field hockey, Vanderbilt
• SUMMARY
• Sports are important parts of culture, which differ
from place to place and time to time. How they
are defined, organized, and integrated into social
life varies from one society to another. .. To
understand sports we MUST view them as social
constructions created in particular cultural and and
social contexts.
• How and why are sports important in our
personal and social lives? How do sports
and participation in sports affect our ideas
about our bodies, gender, social class, race,
ethnicity, violence , etc.
• How are sports related to family, education,
politics, economy, media, religion etc.
• Etc. etc.
V. WHY STUDY SPORTS IN
SOCIETY
• A. SPORTS ARE A PART OF PEOPLES
LIVES
• Everywhere: media, conversations,
language, celebrities, fashion, heroes and
images, school, etc.
B. SPORTS ARE CONNECTED WITH
IMPORTANT IDEAS AND MEANINGS IN
SOCIAL LIFE
• GENDER IDEOLOGY
• RACIAL AND CLASS IDEOLOGY
• CLASS IDEOLOGY
• BODY/SPIRIT
C. SPORTS ARE CONNECTED
TO MAJOR SPHERES OF
SOCIAL LIFE
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FAMILY
ECONOMY
MEDIA
POLITICS
EDUCATION
RELIGION