SOCIAL CLASS AND SPORT PHED 1007 MARCH 9, 2015

OBJECTIVES Examine some definitions within chapter Explore the dominant class ideology in Canada Examine sport and physical activity participation based on social class

DEFINITIONS Social class: People in a particular class share similar __________ __________: similar odds of achieving economic success and gaining economic power

DEFINITIONS Social Stratification: E.g., people born into wealthy, powerful, well-connected families are in far better positions to become wealthy, powerful and well-connected adults

DEFINITIONS Class relations

POST INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY People in post industrial society are reluctant to critically discuss social class and class relations. The myth that we are “_____________________” discourages such discussion. Discussing social class and class relations are firmly grounded in____________ ____________. The focus is on economic inequality, the processes through which it is reproduced and the ways it serves the interest of those with wealth and power.

SPORTS AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY Let’s take a look at the Olympic Movement and the X- Games Olympic movement-wealthy-defined what an amateur was (wealthy who could afford to train-no working class). Today, our definition of amateur has changed. However, those with money and power continue to be influential in the Olympic movement i.e corporations, logos, sponsorship etc The wealthy have always had a role in WHAT constituted a sport X-games- ESPN- fit corporate interests rather than the interests of the athletes-athletes of X Games have struggled to get their concerns heard

DYNAMICS OF CLASS RELATIONS Recap- Chapter 5- Sports and Children -adults develop____________________ -children enjoy sport in a framework determined by adults -if a child’s behaviour ___________from what the adults expect, the adult imposes his/her power to “play the right way”. Class relations work in similar ways.

CLASS IDEOLOGY IN CANADA Class ideology: The dominant class ideology in Canada is a ___________________ Meritocracy: form of social organization in which rewards and positions of leadership and power are earned when people prove their characteristics and abilities are superior to others ________________________________________

MERITOCRACY AND THEORY What sociological theory (or theories) does class ideology fit into?

HOW THE IDEOLOGY OF MERITOCRACY IS CONNECTED TO SPORT Meritocracy is __________________ through sports sponsored by corporations that are financially profitable Sports promote __________________as a natural way to allocate rewards to those who deserve it Is it true….does sport reward those who deserve it?

SOCIAL CLASS AND SPORT PARTICIPATION In all societies: people in _____________ ____________________occupational groups have the highest rates of active sport participation and attendance at sport events E.g., 68% of the fathers of national team athletes came from the highest occupational categories (Beamish, 1986)

SPECIFIC SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLASS What kinds of sports do upper class people participate in?

SPECIFIC SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLASS What kinds of sports do working/middle class people participate in?

SPECIFIC SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLASS What kinds of sports do lower class people participate in?

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL CLASS Who do you suppose gets the most physical activity, people of higher or lower social classes?

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL CLASS Lower class people (compared to higher classes): ___________ do manual labour in their jobs But, bike, run, swim, go to the gym ___________ Play less organized sports on their lunch hour, after work, on weekends, vacations True regardless of age, sex, racial/ethnic groups, people with disabilities – i.e., class is a very strong predictor of PA Why?

GLOBAL INEQUALITIES AND SPORTS

We need to think beyond our own country HDI (Human Development Index) Canada -8 Life expectancy 81.5 Mean years of schooling12.3 Expected years of schooling15.9 Gross National Income41,887 Kenya- 147 Life expectancy 61.7 Mean years of schooling-6.3 Expected years of schooling11 Gross National Income- 2158

GLOBAL INEQUALITIES AND SPORTS Over half of the world’s population see the sports played in Canada and other post industrial nations as “dreamlands”.

ECONOMIC AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN SPORTS Social Mobility –. Social mobility can occur ___________or ____________

ECONOMIC AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN SPORTS When considering career opportunities in sport, we must consider: 1.The number of opportunities is ___________and the playing careers are__________. 2.Opportunities for women are ____________but remain limited on and off the field 3.Opportunities for blacks, Aboriginals and other minorities are growing but remain limited on and off the field.

CONCLUSION Social class inequalities are very real, despite belief that we are lead to believe that we live in a meritocracy Social class is a powerful determinant of sport and physical activity participation