KIWI!!! Identity and Sport in New Zealand Society

Identity “Identity is the perception of self, shaped by social and ideological values and practices. Self may be considered as individual or the collective self as in a team, region or country.” -McConnell and Edwards, 2000

Activity On your own, write a list of 5 things you feel represent you. In pairs, agree upon 5 things that represent your pair. In groups, list 5 things that represent your group.

Sport and Identity Often, a sense of identity is derived from success in sport. “Our perception of who we are as individuals may be influenced by acceptance in a sporting team and success or failure in the sporting arena.” - Edwards, 2007

Sport and Identity in Society Sport contributes to identity at both the micro (individual) and macro (regional, national and international) levels of society. The contributions made by this can be both positive and negative.

Sport and Identity at the Micro Level of NZ Society At the micro level of society, identity is the perception of one’s self. “As we interact with our social world, be it sport or other domains of society, we develop a sense of ourselves and how we relate to and interact with the social world in which we move.” -McConnell and Edwards, 2000

Positive Example If an individual has positive experiences with sport at an early age, they are likely to identify with it in a positive manner. “I knew early in my life that I was an ahtlete. I understood this about myself on some primal level. Sport wasn’t just something I did: being an athlete was who I was. Sport and physical challenge were my passion… This passion for sport and love of myself as an athlete has sustained me, driven me, and nurtured me throughout my life.”-Griffen, 1998

Negative Example The impact of sport on shaping identity is not always positive. “He has lived a strange, self-absorbed existence that has delivered rewards, celebrity and the respect of his peers. But with the collapse of a scrum, and maybe the flick of a selectors pen, it is all about to end. Norm Hewitt will be converted to Joe Average.” -Laws, 2001

Sport and Identity at the Macro Level of NZ Society At the macro level, identity is based around a collective consciousness or perception. “Sporting success has often helped to foster a close symbolic link between specific sport and specific places” -Jarvie, 2003

Positive Example National pride “The symbol of Aotearoa-New Zealand and sporting excellence is displayed proudly on the chests of those who have earned this right and borne just as proudly by the multitudes of Kiwis living off-shore. Whatever the arena, wherever we are, this burns deeply inside all Kiwis and calls us to action.” -Seymour, 2007

Negative Example National Shame “At least I was in the yellow of Oceania and not the black of New Zealand. At least the country was not bearing the shame I felt.” -Walker and Palenski, 1984

Key Questions What would have happened to NZ identity if we had not sent our athletes to the Olympics? How was NZ affected when our athletes won medals at the Games? What happened to athletes who did not win medals?

Implications for P.E

What does all this mean? How does this knowledge affect me, others and society? SELFOTHERSSOCIETY It affects me because sport contributes positively to my construction of identity since I like to watch and play a lot of sports. It affects my parents identity because they feel a strong sense of pride when they watch the All Blacks on T.V Society is judgemental of NZ athletes because it is only when they win that we associate with them hevily.

What could change? Are you happy with this current information about identity? If you could change things about identity at both micro and macro levels, what would they be? How could we go about changing these things?