Sport & Society

Question 1

Pre- Industrial Britain (before 1850)

Answer 1

Social Class-

• Working class played sports like mob football, had less time and did violent activities (e.g. Bare knuckle fighting)
• Upper class played sports like tennis, had more money and time
• Everyone participated in walking races (pedestrianism)
• Amateurs were not payed (middle class & upper class), professionals were payed (working class)

Gender-

• Sport was dominated by men
• Women were deemed as ‘weaker’ and didn’t do exercise that was too strenuous
• Women participated in smock races

Law & Order-

• Changes to the law affected some sports for the working class
• Blood sports were banned (e.g. Animal baiting & cock fighting)
• Fox hunting remained legal for the middle/ upper class
• Law makers were middle/ upper class, so where often biased

Education-

• The lower/ working class were often illiterate, so struggled playing games with many rules
• The middle/ upper class were literate so could participate in games with more rules

Time-

• The working/ lower classes never had time to play sport, came together once a month to play mob football
• Upper class had more time do play their sports

Money-

• The working/ lower classes had less money
• The upper class had much more money

Transport-

• Working class people rarely left their villages as the only mode of transport was horse & cart, which they couldn’t afford
• Games were often localised
• Upper class could travel to facilities in other towns, many built facilities in their homes