Sports and Society Chapter 18

Eating Disorders

-33% of female athletes have reported eating disorders -sport attracts the disciplined and determined -anorexia, bulimia, disordered eating, compulsive exercise -disorders have increased among female athletes since Title IX -coaches and parents can indirectly encourage disorders -female athlete triad: disordered eating, amenorrhea, osteoporosis

On-field Violence

-demands of collision and contact sports -enforcer roles -societal view of masculinity encouraging warrior mentality -part of the game -most sports already have a violent nature -unclear when it involves acts prohibited by rules but is often accepted by competing athletes

Deviance in Sport

-departing or deviating especially from an accepted norm -can be good or bad -modifying equipment -faking injuries for time outs -fighting -less deviance during sports because increase in officiating, media, and TV replays -steeper penalties for different types -occurs accidentally and intentionally -often done for strategic advantage

Gambling in Sport

-has always been an important issue for sports organizers -without public confidence in integrity of games, popularity of games will decline -46 of 50 states allows some type of gambling -internet makes gambling easier -illegal wagers result in $380 billion annually -involvement of organized crime is concern -online betting increasing and not yet illegal -college students who gamble more likely to engage in other risky behavior

Hazing in Sport

-mental or physical harm or anxiety and demeaning or degrading behavior regardless of intent or consent -80% of college athletes have been hazed -all athletes are at risk -seen as a rite of passage -dangerous acts incase (physical punishment or sexual assault)

Deviant Behavior

-performance enhancing drugs -eating disorders -hazing -hooliganism -gambling

Consequences of On-field Violence

-shortened careers -pressure to return from injuries -concussions -negative publicity for teams, leagues, organizations -poor behavior modeling

Off-field Violence

-unclear if on-field violence leads to off-field violence -alcohol use escalates violence incidence -athletes more prone to binge drinking -some sports may not cause more violent off-field behavior but attract people who are more violent -challenges to manhood occur off the field -white male student athletes make up 3% of college population but commit 19% of sexual assaults and 35% of domestic assaults -athletes commit 1 in 3 sexual assaults -general population conviction rate is 80% for sexual assaults but athletes rate is only 38%

Performance Enhancers

-use steroids and other drugs to enhance athletic performance -not a new phenomenon but more media exposure -London olympics, record number of drug tests administered types: -prescription (over the counter): promote healing, mask pain, and risks are long term -stimulants: used for decades, increase arousal and energy levels -anabolic steroids: increase muscle size, speed, and strength; improve ability of miscles to train quickly after exhaustion -others: HGH, doping, amino acids

Underconformity vs. overconformity

Underconformity: behavior that does not conform to the generally accepted rules (team, school, competition); hazing, betting, alcohol Overconformity: internalizing the rules to the extreme; drastically altering food intake to gain or lose weight; using supplements to improve strength or bulk