Social class and sport

Myths of class relations (2)

#1: sports that are a new path to economic success for people from all classes #2: money and class-based advantages do not matter in sports ignored are the oppressive effects of poverty and limited opportunities

Sports careers for ethnic minorities

-28x more African Americans working as doctors, lawyers, and college professors than there are African American athletes in professional sports --Boxing, basketball, football, baseball, track -Ethnic minority athletes have faced entry and retention barriers in the past --Latinos, Asian Pacific Americans, and Native Americans underrepresented -Members of ethnic minorities are more likely than whites to be defined as unqualified for off-the-field jobs --Job candidates most likely to be hired have values and orientations matching those of people in positions of power

Class, gender, race, and ethnicity intersect in boxing

-Research shows that for some low-income, minority men, boxing is an alternative to the violence of the streets -Boxing is a refuge from the violence, hopelessness, and indignity created by racism and poverty -> Many of these men know they would not be boxers if other opportunities existed for them -> U.S. boxers since the 1880s have been Irish, Italian, Jewish, African Americans, and Latinos - as each ethnic group migrated to the U.S. and was at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder

Economic opportunities in sport

-career opportunities are limited and, for athletes, they are short-term -media focuses on the best athlete in the most popular sports -very little attention given to athletes whose contracts aren't renewed after their first season

The olympics and paralympics highlight global inequalities

-wealthy nations are the medal winners -training for elite competition is now so expensive that 80% of the global population has no realistic chance of winning a medal-> pattern is even more pronounced in the Paralympics

Career opportunities among former athletes

Former athletes experience career benefits from playing sports if... -interpersonal skills carry over to off the field jobs -people with power and influence define them as good job prospects -they can use their reputations to create the publicity needed to achieve career success -they are well connected with others who can provide opportunities or advocate their interests

Class relations and power in sports

Most powerful people in sports are typically white men who control the resources that sponsor sports and represent sports in the media -most visible sports around the world revolve around the meaning and orientations given priority by people with wealth and power

Social class and sport participation

Social class and class relations influence who plays sports, who watches sports, who consumes information about sports, and the information that is available -generally, the higher the social class, the greater the involvement and influence

Cultural capital

all cultural consumption including sports consumption requires the appropriate preferences and tastes as well as skills and knowledge -gained form one's upbringing/education -varies by social class and serves as a marker of social differences -most sports are consistent with the preferences of the upper classes

Sport careers for women

careers as pro athletes for women have existed primarily in tennis and golf -other job opportunities in sports are limited

Social class

categories of people who share an economic position in society based on a combination of... income, wealth, social connections, occupation, and education

Class and gender relations

girls and women in low-income households often face the greatest constraints in sports participation while boys and girls from high-income households seldom face constraints that interfere with participation in after-schpp and summer programs, camps, etc.

Class ideology

major beliefs are the american dream (opportunities to support self and family are available to all) and the US is a meritocracy (a system which rewards only go to those who deserve them)

Summer olympics, Atlanta 1996

not just a sporting event but a mechanism for urban renewal-> displaced poor people from homes

Global inequalities and sports

sports and sport participation is a luxury for over half the world's population -young people in poor and developing nations are required to work and have little time and few resources to play sports (when they do play have little resources)

Social stratification

structured forms of economic inequalities that are part of the organization of everyday life -these inequalities influence life chances: are similar odds for achieving economic success and power in society; are not equally distributed

Sports involvement and social class: a paradox?

the higher one's social class, the more likely one is to be involved in sports but... the higher one's social class, the less likely one is to be involved in certain sports that have come as a result of being associated with the lower classes (french upper class play golf and tennis and less likely to be invested in boxing , rugby, and bodybuilding

Economic inequality, class relations, and sports

the meaning, organization, and purpose of sports are heavily influenced by money and economic power -class relations in the US are based on an ideology in which economic success is equated with individual ability, worth, and character

What social class is more likely to attend most sporting events but are less likely to attend wrestling and boxing matches?

the upper class

Class relations

the ways that social class is incorporated into the organization of everyday lives

Cost of attending sporting events

tickets to pro sports events are too expensive for many people today -Ticket prices increase about 30% after new facilities are constructed -Ticket prices are driven up by corporations that can deduct from their income taxes a portion of ticket costs -Expensive tickets are status symbols for those who want class distinctions to be part of the sport experience