SOCIAL GROUPINGS

Lesson objectives To be aware of the types of social groups which exist To understand the different influences which these groups can have both positively and negatively.

Any form of social group is likely to influence your participation in any activity and it can be a major effect on physical activity. Give me the 2 major groups that have an influence on you? Peer group Family

PEERS When you are in your teens the group which as the most influence on you is your peer group (A peer group is a social group consisting of people who are equal in such respects as age, education or social class) – this can be both positive and negative. If your peers are actively involved in sport and physical activity, it is likely to be positive – you join in too. If your peer group have a negative view on sport and PE preferring to hang round the Spar smoking and drinking then you are likely to follow them. PEER GROUP PRESSURE can be very difficult to resist and many people find that it shapes their attitudes throughout their school lives.

Positive or negative? Your choice

Family Another group which has a big influence on young people – again this can be positive or negative. Positive – The level of support they give. This can be both in encouragement or practically. Practically parents can provide specialist equipment that is needed for the sport, they can pay for coaching, training, match fees, membership fees etc. Parents of good sportspeople spend a fortune in money and time transporting their children around to matches and training. Parents who also play sport, or did, can also be role models for their children.

Negative effects can be the reverse of the last slide Negative effects can be the reverse of the last slide. When family members are either not prepared or not able to provide the support needed i.e. transport, equipment, fees. Some family members may have had a negative experience with sport and PE and may pass these feelings on to their children. Some parents may be too concerned about safety in certain sports and not allow their children to take part. Another problem could be parents who make their children concentrate on academic work rather than on physical activity.

Gender This is far less of an issue now as there are now far more opportunities for women to access as many sports as men do, and more women are becoming officials (last month Amy Fearn reffed a Championship football match for the first time). It is also now expected that women will take part in sport.

Ethnicity Ethnic background can be a factor especially in a culture where women are not encouraged to take part in PE on religious grounds owing to constraints on what they might be required to wear.

KEY WORDS Peer group – people of the same age and status as you. Peer group pressure – where the peer group will attempt to persuade an individual to follow their lead. Ethnic – a group of people with a common national or cultural tradition.

Examiners Tips For all of the above social groupings you are likely to be asked for the positive and negative effects they may have. Try not to just consider opposites but come up with different examples of both types of effect.