Midterm Prep # 1

Question 1

Definition of culture?

Answer 1

Complex ways of life that people create and struggle over as they participate in a group or society

Question 2

Definition of society?

Answer 2

A collection of people living in a defined geographical territory and united by a political system and shared sense of self-identification that distinguishes them from other collections of people

Question 3

What is a movement culture/physical culture?

Answer 3

How the physical body is embedded in and shaped by the activities, norms, customs, materials, shared meanings, and power-relations that are a part of day to day life in groups and societies

Question 4

What is an active body?

Answer 4

An instrument of physical culture or an object of physical culture

Question 5

What is the difference between an instrument and an object of physical culture?

Answer 5

instrument: body as a medium for competition
object: professional athlete as a performer

Question 6

What do sociologists look at instead of focusing on a strict definition of sport?

Answer 6

The shifting definitions of sport over time; what the debates about defining sport tell us about society and culture

Question 7

What are the 3 main areas sociologists study?

Answer 7

• The people involved in sports
• The social institutions that shape sport experiences
• The social processes occurring within the sphere of sport

Question 8

Why would we study sports and physical culture in society?

Answer 8

Special meaning in peoples lives; sports being tied to many important ideas and cultures; sports are connected to major spheres of social life

Question 9

What ideas are sports tied to?

Answer 9

Gender ideology, racial ideology and class ideology

Question 10

What is the sociological imagination?

Answer 10

The individual and society are interrelated, something that might seem like an individual problem is impacted by broader social forces

Question 11

What does the sociological imagination have to do with movement cultures?

Answer 11

The active body cannot be separated from society

Question 12

What is the critical approach?

Answer 12

It takes nothing for granted in studying social processes and often emphasizes power relations

Question 13

The is the theoretical approach?

Answer 13

Theories help us understand, interpret, and explain the social phenomena we observe

Question 14

What does it mean when something is a social construction or is socially constructed?

Answer 14

Parts of social reality that are given meaning based on negotiations and interactions among society’s members

Question 15

How are sports social constructions?

Answer 15

The definition of sport is is not fixed and is socio-culturally defined

Question 16

What are the 3 theses?

Answer 16

• The “what relationship” thesis
• The reflection thesis
• The dialectical thesis

Question 17

What is the “what relationship” thesis?

Answer 17

Perspective that sport is separate from the rest of society and unimpacted by power relations or politics

Question 18

What is the reflection thesis?

Answer 18

Physical culture is a mirror of society, or is a product of society

Question 19

What is the dialectical thesis?

Answer 19

Society and sports influence one another, its a two way street; aligns best with the sociological imagination and the critical and theoretical approach

Question 20

What is socialization?

Answer 20

a process through which we learn what we must know to fit into society and contribute to its operation

Question 21

What is a functionalist approach to socialization?

Answer 21

Emphasis on the role that social institutions play in contributing to stability and maintaining the status quo

Question 22

How do sports fit into the functionalist approach?

Answer 22

They serve as a way to:
- prepare children for adult involvement
- influence character development and reform “at-risk” youth
- almost always seen as a positive force

Question 23

What is internalization?

Answer 23

We learn from peers, parents, teachers, the media how one is supposed to behave and the roles we play in society

Question 24

What are agents of socialization called?

Answer 24

Socializers

Question 25

What are some functionalist research questions?

Answer 25

Who influences the sports participation of children? Who drops out of sports and why?

Question 26

What is the critical-interactionist approach?

Answer 26

We are not automatically shaped by those around us, we question, we interpret what we see and hear, etc

Question 27

What are sports seen as in the critical-interactionist approach?

Answer 27

Sports are seen as sites for socialization experiences, not direct causes of behaviour

Question 28

What are key parts of the critical interactionist approach?

Answer 28

Social values and culture are NOT internalized, socialization involves participatory learning, not always sites of positive experiences

Question 29

What are some critical-interactionist research questions?

Answer 29

How do people make decisions about participating in sport? How do they give meaning to their sports participation?

Question 30

Critical-interactionist theories focus on...

Answer 30

1. Studies the sport experiences from the perspective of the individual 2. Studies of social worlds that emerge and are maintained in connection with certain sports

Question 31

What is a subculture?

Answer 31

A grouping of people who share a particular interest (i.e. sports)

Question 32

What is key to being part of a subculture?

Answer 32

Being able to "walk the walk and talk the talk"

Question 33

What is an alternative sport?

Answer 33

A relatively unstructured activity that tends to be more democratic than formally organized sports, leads to more welcoming spaces

Question 34

Explain why skateboarding is is an example of an alternative sport?

Answer 34

Elite competition is deemphasized, participant control is huge and it is seen as a "site of cultural resistance"

Question 35

What is prolympism?

Answer 35

What sociologist call the dominant conceptual, ideological and organizational structure of the youth sports system in Canada - emphasizes winning and the progression to professional sports

Question 36

What are the consequences of prolympism on youth?

Answer 36

It produces elite athletes, but most do not make it to the varsity level, nor to major sporting events

Question 37

What are the consequences of prolympism on community sports?

Answer 37

Funneling money towards elite programs means less money fro society-wide participation

Question 38

What is single sport specialization?

Answer 38

An athlete trains intensely in one specific sport for nine or more months of the year

Question 39

What are sociologists' reasons for specialization?

Answer 39

1. Growing privatization and commercialization of youth sports 2. Changes in parenting styles and priorities

Question 40

What are the consequences of single sport specialization for youth?

Answer 40

Although there are competitive advantages and specialized training opportunities, there are links to higher injury rates and burnout

Question 41

What are the consequences of single sport specialization for community sports?

Answer 41

Elite programs can drain resources from grassroot programs, southern alberta girls hockey example

Question 42

What is the Greater Toronto Hockey League?

Answer 42

Hockey league in toronto with the aim of creating professional hockey players, observers have argued that it epitomizes the commercialization of community hockey

Question 43

When are child athletes considered child labourers?

Answer 43

When their sport participation involves economic exploitation and performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education or to be harmful to the child's development

Question 44

What is considered maltreatment in sports?

Answer 44

Using a power differential to commit abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional) and in other cases neglect

Question 45

What are some similarities between elite sport and child labour?

Answer 45

1. Working long hours 2. Working under excessive physical, psychological and social stress 3. Working for little pay - Tennis player Jelena Dokic 4. Being subject to intimidation

Question 46

What were the big influences of industrialization?

Answer 46

Increase in income and an increase in population (overall high levels of growth)

Question 47

What was a pivotal period for organized sports in Canada?

Answer 47

1880-1920

Question 48

Why did cricket not catch on in Canada?

Answer 48

Usually played during the day and the working class was working; they never accepted the game and made it their own; the british elite never made it appealing to Canadians

Question 49

What did George W. Beers do?

Answer 49

Created a national mythology (fake news about the popularity of lacrosse) to give Canada its own unique identity, advocating for lacrosse to become the national sport

Question 50

How did urbanization influence Canada?

Answer 50

Population swelled, farmers and immigrants moved into cities, relationship with the land changed

Question 51

How was nature viewed during urbanization?

Answer 51

Viewed as a cure-all by the upper and middle classes; Upper class worried about the lower classes morality without outdoor activities; the upper class complained about the lack of outdoor spaces

Question 52

What did the summer camp movement convey?

Answer 52

It conveyed the rehabilitating effects of nature, was thought to teach boys morals, to harden them, prepare them for college, woodcraft training and outdoor skills, discipline, etc.

Question 53

What happened in 1848 in the UK?

Answer 53

Public Health Act: linking of parks and health of the population!

Question 54

What was formed in 1833?

Answer 54

The Select Committee on Public Walks, a committee to ensure that there were proper places for the appropriate activites

Question 55

What was a key event in the 19th century?

Answer 55

The setting aside of land for public parks

Question 56

Who formed park boards and committees and what did they do?

Answer 56

Mostly made up of elite citizens, focused on financial costs associated with the facilities and putting forth legislation in line with social reform and improvement movements

Question 57

What are the main questions committees deal with?

Answer 57

1. The amount of money it will cost to purchase land 2. What forms of recreation were suitable on public lands

Question 58

What was the Victoria Park, London, ON example?

Answer 58

Originally was land for sports, then the elite of society wanted it to be manicured and limit the working class in the park. The upper class won and shaped the purpose of the park (people in positions of power have societal influence)

Question 59

Why was there a need for designated play spaces?

Answer 59

Play spaces were uncommon, played in alleyways and streets that were often perceived as hazardous

Question 60

What were some important structured activities for children?

Answer 60

"Good citizens club", drills, folk dancing, a salute to the flag and gymnastics