7-1 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley SPORTS IN SOCIETY: ISSUES & CONTROVERSIES IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND CHAPTER 7 VIOLENCE IN SPORTS: How Does Affect Our Lives?

7-2 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Definition of Violence The use of excessive physical force, which causes or has the potential to cause harm or destruction. Violence is not always illegal or disapproved –It may be praised and lauded as necessary. When violence involves widespread rejection of norms, it may signal anarchy. When violence involves extreme over conformity to norms, it may signal fascism.

7-3 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Definition of Aggression Verbal or physical actions grounded in an intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another person. Aggression is not the same as assertiveness, competitiveness, or trying hard. Intimidation refers to words, gestures, and actions that threaten violence or aggression.

7-4 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence in Sports History Figurational research shows that violence was more severe in the past. –On the field & off the field. Rates of sports violence have not automatically increased over time. Violence in sports remains a crucial social issue today. –Sports violence can serve to reproduce an ideology of male privilege.

7-5 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Types of On-the-field Violence 1.Brutal body contact 2.Borderline violence 3.Quasi-criminal violence 4.Criminal violence

7-6 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence As Deviant Overconformity to the Sport Ethic Coaches may expect players to use violence. Violence often attracts media attention. Players may not like violence, even though most accept it as part of the game. Quasi- and criminal violence are routinely rejected by athletes and spectators. (continued)

7-7 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence As Deviant Overconformity to the Sport Ethic Violence may be related to insecurities in high performance sports. Expressions of violence are related to gender, but not limited to men. Physicality creates drama and excitement, strong emotions, and special bonds among all athletes, male and female.

7-8 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Commercialisation and Violence Some athletes are paid to do violence. Commercialisation and money expand the visibility of violence in sports and encourage a promotional rhetoric that uses violent images. Violence is not caused by TV and money – it existed long before TV coverage and big salaries.

7-9 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence and Masculinity Violence is grounded in general cultural norms. Violence in sports is not limited to men. Playing power and performance sports often are ways to prove masculinity.

7-10 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence is Institutionalised in Some Sports In non-contact sports, violence is usually limited to using violent images in talk. In contact men’s sports, players learn to use violence as a strategy. –Enforcers & goons are paid to do violence. In women’s contact sports, violence may be used as a strategy, but not to prove femininity.

7-11 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Pain and Injury As the Price of Violence A popular paradox in today’s sports: People accept violence while being concerned about injuries caused by violence. Disabling injuries caused by violence in some sports are serious problems. Dominant ideas about masculinity are related to high injury rates in men’s sports.

7-12 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Controlling On-the-field Violence Brutal body contact is the most difficult form of violence to control. –Most injuries occur on “legal hits”. The most effective strategies might involve: –Suspensions for players. –Fines for team owners.

7-13 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Off-the-field Violence Data on carryover are inconclusive. Assault and sexual assault rates among male, heterosexual competitors are a serious problem. –These behaviours are a serious problem in society as a whole. –Debates about whether rates are higher among sports competitors distract attention from the problem of violence in culture.

7-14 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Hypotheses About Male Competitors’ Violence Against Women Violence is related to 1.Support from fellow competitors for using physical force as a strategy. 2.Perceived cultural support for domination as a basis for status & identity among men. 3.Deviant over conformity to the norms of the sport ethic. (continued)

7-15 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence is related to 4.Collective HUBRIS and the notion that outsiders do not deserve respect. 5.Support for the belief that women constitute “groupies” in sport worlds. 6.Institutional support for elite competitors regardless of their actions. 7.Institutional failures to hold competitors accountable for deviance. Hypotheses About Male Competitors’ Violence Against Women

7-16 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Learning to Control Violence in Sports Control may be learned if The social world formed around a sport promotes a mindset & norms emphasising:  Non-violence  Self-control  Respect for self and others  Physical fitness  Patience

7-17 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence Is Most Likely When : Sports are organised in ways that Produce HUBRIS. Separate competitors from the community. Encourage competitors to think that others do not deserve their respect.

7-18 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Violence Among Spectators No data on how watching sports may influence violence in everyday relationships. Spectators at non-contact sports have low rates of violence. Spectators at contacts sports have rates of violence that constitute a problem in need of analysis and control. –Rates today are lower than rates in the past.

7-19 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Celebratory Violence This form of violence has not been studied systematically by scholars in the sociology of sport.

7-20 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley General Factors Related to Violence at Sport Events 1.Action in the sport event itself. 2.Crowd dynamics & the situation in which spectators watch the event. 3.Historical, social economic, & political context in which the event is planned and played.

7-21 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Crowd Dynamics & Situational Factors Crowd size Composition of crowd Meaning and importance of event History of relationship between teams Crowd control strategies at event Alcohol consumption by spectators Location of event Motivations for attending the event Importance of teams as sources of identity for spectators

7-22 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Terrorism as Spectator Violence Terrorism has occurred at sports events in the past. Current threats of terrorism have increased security concerns and procedures at sport venues. Threats of terrorism demand that we be more aware of global issues.

7-23 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Controlling Crowd Violence Be aware of the following factors: 1.Perceived violence on the field is positively related to crowd violence. 2.Crowd dynamics and conditions. 3.Historical, social, political, & political issues underlying spectator orientations.