social issues in sports essay

In this module, we will begin to explore social issues in sport and why it is important for us to study sport from this perspective. We will create a common language for the rest of the course by defining terms like sport, sociology, and sport sociology. We will also examine the dualities of sport and discuss why social environments and social contexts are both barriers and enablers to societal change. This module frames content for the entire course and our focus on the critical evaluation of sport. We will examine bigger questions, including but not limited to the following: Do we question the way sport is organized? Why or why not? How can we question sport without losing our relationship to it?

Objectives

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Define sport, sociology, and sport sociology.
2. Explain why social environments and social contexts are both enablers and barriers to change in a society.
3. Explain the inherent dualities of sport.
4. Explain how sport mirrors society.
5. Illustrate the value of studying sport from a critical perspective.

PlayPosit Lecture

Begin this module by watching the following video in PlayPosit and completing the interactions that pop up.

Introduction to Social Issues in Sport

This video introduces the main topic for the module and has three aims. First, it will outline the learning objectives for the module. Second, it will explain why this topic is important to the purpose of this course. Finally, it will leave you with some questions to ask as you read and watch the rest of the material in the module.

4:14

This lecture includes an interactive element that aligns with Objective 1 above.

Readings

After watching the lecture, please read the following selections.

This chapter helps us to conceptualize sport from a sociological perspectiveas a social construction. It provides the language for us to understand sport as social activities embedded with society, which will allow us to explore the interaction between sport and the larger social world more openly. This chapter gives good theoretical reasons why sport is important in our society, and why/how it should be critically evaluatedsomething you are asked to explain in Essay 1.

Eitzen & Cooky, Chapter 1: The Paradoxes of Sport: An Introduction

This chapter discusses how sport is full of paradoxes and a microcosm of society. It looks at the duality of sport’s both magical and troublesome qualities, allowing us to begin to look critically at various sport spaces. This chapter will help you formulate your responses to Essay 1 regarding the necessity of critical evaluation of sport.

Eitzen & Cooky, Chapter 2: Sport Unites, Sport Divides

This chapter explores how sport embodies society’s contradictory elements with the power to divide or unite people. It will introduce the social concepts of social class, race, and gender, and how they interact with sport to both unite and divide. This chapter will provide you with many of the conceptual tools needed for Essay 1. You meet a friend in a caf, and as you talk with them about sports, you quickly realize they believe in the Great Sport Mythalthough they do not call it this, of course. They believe that sport is always good, always positive, and therefore never in need of critical evaluation.

After reading the content for the first two modules, you know that sport is an important social institution in our society and that it can be improved through critical evaluation. In this assignment, your job is to convince this individual of the following:

• That it is possible to love sport (or have a positive relationship with sport) while still criticizing its shortcomings (Module 1)
• That one space that needs critical evaluation relates to how social class affects access and experience in sport (Module 2)
• That critical evaluation and action can lead to more access and better experiences in sport across contexts and levels (Modules 1 and 2)

In your answer, you must provide evidence for your argument. You may use outside sources as well, but you must use at least three course sources. Sources should be properly cited in

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