1. 10-1 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Sports in Society: Issues & Controversies in Australia and New Zealand CHAPTER 10 Social Class: Do Money and Power Matter in Sports?

2. 10-2 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Social Class Refers to categories of people who share a similar economic position in society based on a combination of their:  Income  Wealth  Education  Occupation  Social connections

3. 10-3 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Social Stratification Refers to structured forms of economic inequalities that are part of the organisation of everyday life; these inequalities influence life chances.  Life Chances (i.e., opportunities to achieve economic success and gain economic power) vary from one social class to another in the social stratification system.

4. 10-4 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Sports and Economic Inequality The meaning, organisation, and purpose of sports are heavily influenced by money and economic power. Class relations in most societies are based on an ideology in which economic success is equated with individual ability, worth, and character. –Competitive power and performance sports reaffirm this ideology.

5. 10-5 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Class Relations & Power in Sports The most powerful people in sports are white men who control the resources of major organisations that sponsor sports or present them in the media. –The most visible sports around the world revolve around the meanings and orientations valued by people with economic resources and power.

6. 10-6 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley The “Power People” in Sports People with power in and over sports always show that: –Power is grounded in organisations and rests in the hands of the people who control those organisations. –Athletes have little or no power in sports.

7. 10-7 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Class Relations & Cultural Ideology Sports are valuable cultural vehicles for developing “ideological outposts” in the minds of people around the world. This is why transnational corporations spend billions of dollars to be primary providers of popular pleasure and entertainment. –Then corporate spokespersons use sports to deliver other messages about what should be important in people’s lives (commercials are just one part of this).

8. 10-8 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Social Class & Sport Participation Social class & class relations influence who plays, watches and consumes sports. Generally, the higher the social class, the greater the involvement and influence. Sport participation occurs in the context of class- related lifestyles. Social class also intersects with gender and age to influence sports participation patterns.

9. 10-9 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Class Relations & Gender Relations Girls and women in low-income households often face the greatest constraints to sport participation. Boys and girls from higher income families seldom face constraints that interfere with participation in after school and summer programs, camps, and leagues. Gender-related factors have a greater impact on sport participation patterns in lower income households.

10. 10-10 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Class & Gender in Men’s Lives Ideas about sports and masculinity vary by social class. –Boys from lower income backgrounds often see sport participation as a means of obtaining “respect”. Early, exclusive commitments to sports often are more likely among boys from lower income backgrounds.

11. 10-11 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Social Class, Gender, & Race/Ethnicity 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 had existed for them.

12. 10-12 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Class Relations in Action Cuts in publicly funded sport programs disproportionately affect people with few economic resources (eg., school programs). Tickets to pro sports events are expensive for many people today. –Ticket prices increase after new facilities are constructed. –But ticket costs in Australia and New Zealand are more affordable than in many other countries.

13. 10-13 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Economic & Career Opportunities in Sports Career opportunities are limited and, for athletes, they are short-term. –The odds of making big money as an athlete are so low that nobody should bet on them! Opportunities for women are growing but they remain limited. Opportunities for minority peoples are growing but remain limited.

14. 10-14 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Careers for Women Careers as pro athletes for women have existed primarily in tennis and golf. –Other pro sports have been formed recently (eg basketball and netball), but they generate little revenue, and careers are insecure. Other job opportunities in sports remain limited by gender ideology. –The characteristics associated with being a women are not seen as fitting many job qualifications in sports.

15. 10-15 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Careers for Indigenous People and Ethnic Minorities Many sports remain mostly white – eg motor sports, tennis and golf. In high profile Australian sports Indigenous players found mostly in body contact sports – AFL, NRL, boxing. In New Zealand, Maori and Islander players now common in elite rugby. Indigenous and ethnic minority peoples often seek sporting careers, despite very high odds against success, as a way out of poverty.

16. 10-16 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Occupational Careers Among Former Athletes Former athletes might experience career benefits from playing sports if: They learn interpersonal skills that carry over to jobs. People with power and influence define them as good job prospects because they were athletes. They can use their sport reputations to create the publicity needed to achieve career success. They are well connected with others who can provide opportunities or advocate their interests.

17. 10-17 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Playing Sports and Occupational Success Research suggests that playing sports may be related to career success when it: Enables people to complete academic degrees & gain knowledge about the world. Increases support from significant others. Leads to connections outside of sports. Provides material resources. Expands non-sport identities and abilities. Does not lead to serious injuries.

18. 10-18 Copyright  2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Sports in Society by Coakley Major Challenges Faced By Retiring Athletes 1.Reconstructing identities in terms of activities, abilities, and relationships unrelated to sport participation. 2.Renegotiating relationships with others so as to gain feedback and support for new identities.  Do sport organisations have the responsibility to facilitate these processes?