(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sports in Society: Issues & Controversies Chapter 7 Violence in Sports: How Does Affect Our Lives?

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 overconformity to norms, it may signal fascism

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Types of On-the-field Violence 1.Brutal body contact 2.Borderline violence 3.Quasi-criminal violence 4.Criminal violence

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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)

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Commercialization and Violence Some athletes are paid to do violence Commercialization 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Violence, Masculinity, Social Class, & Race Among men from low-income backgrounds, violence may be perceived to bring respect Black men may use violence to exploit white stereotypes

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Violence Is Institutionalized 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Off-the-field Violence Data on carryover are inconclusive Assault and sexual assault rates among male, heterosexual athletes are a serious problem These behaviors are a serious problem in society as a whole Debates about whether rates are higher among athletes distract attention from the problem of violence in culture

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Hypotheses About Male Athletes’ Violence Against Women Violence is related to 1.Support from fellow athletes for using physical force as a strategy 2.Perceived cultural support for domination as a basis for status & identity among men 3.Deviant overconformity to the norms of the sport ethic (continued)

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 athletes regardless of their actions 7.Institutional failures to hold athletes accountable for deviance Hypotheses About Male Athletes’ Violence Against Women

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning to Control Violence in Sports Control may be learned if The social world formed around a sport promotes a mindset & norms emphasizing: Non-violence Self-control Respect for self and others Physical fitness Patience

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Violence Is Most Likely When: Sports are organized in ways that Produce HUBRIS Separate athletes from the community Encourage athletes to think that others do not deserve their respect

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Violence in Sports & Gender Ideology Doing violence in sports reproduces the belief that “men are superior to women” Power & performance sports, when they encourage violence, emphasize difference between men and women Sports violence reproduces an ideology of male entitlement

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Celebratory Violence This form of violence has not been studied systematically by scholars in the sociology of sport

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 7.1 Research is needed on celebratory riots associated with sports

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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

(c) 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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