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.

Identify the assumption What/who has influenced me/us to think this? Step 1: Identify the assumption ASSUMPTION What are the influences and outcomes of “buying into” this assumption? What are the messages I/we get? What are the influences on the development and maintenance of this assumption? What/who has influenced me/us to think this?

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??