Download Learning Sociology Through Sports

Learning Sociology Through Sports
Sociology
• Sociology is the scientific study of society and social
behavior
• We focus on the group rather than the individual
• We study people as they form groups and interact
with one another (social interaction)
• We study facts or events that involve human society
(social phenomena)
Sociology (continued)
• We study small groups
• married couples, close friends
• We study large groups
• subcultures, suburban teenagers
• We study societies as individual entities….
• U.S. culture
• …..and as part of a global perspective
• differences between lifestyles in Japan and the United
States
Sociology and the Other Social
Sciences
• Social Sciences are disciplines that study
human social behavior or institutions and the
functions of human society in a scientific
matter
• Read the handout about these sciences and
put it in your folder as part of your notes!
Other Social Sciences
• Psychology: study of human behavior and mental
processes.
• Social Psychology: how the social environment
affects an individual’s behavior and personality.
• Anthropology: studies the origins, physical and
cultural development, and social customs and beliefs
of cultures. It is the most similar to sociology. Often
studies past cultures and simple societies.
Psychology
Anthropology
Other Social Sciences
• Political Science: studies the governments of
societies.
• Economics: focuses on the production and
distribution of society’s goods and services.
• History: the study of past events.
Economics
History
The Sociological Perspective
• Looking at life in a scientific, systematic way
• Getting rid of common-sense explanations
and replacing them with a better
understanding of hidden meanings behind
human actions
• Helps you gain a new view of social life
The Sociological Perspective in
Sports
• What does sport mean in our lives?
• How are these meanings constructed
culturally and socially?
• What does it mean for individuals, groups,
organizations, and society?
• Can sports help us understand society?
“The Sociological Imagination”
• Term expressed by C. Wright Mills in 1959
• “The ability to see the connection between
the larger world and your personal life”
• Reject your previous assumptions.
• You must be able to pull away from the
situation and think from an alternate point of
view
• Bird’s eye view
Questions for Discussion
• People should seek:
– Individual Fulfillment
– Harmony and respect within their community
Questions for Discussion
• Direct eye contact infers:
– Attention and Respect
– Disrespect and/or defiance
Questions for Discussion
• One’s future is controlled by:
– Behaviors and actions
– Fate
Questions for Discussion
• Gender roles should be:
– Loosely defined
– Clearly defined
Try to Avoid Ethnocentrism
• Ethnocentrism: a tendency to judge all
cultures in terms of one’s own. A belief that
one’s own culture is morally, intellectually, or
aesthetically superior to all others
• As sociologists, we try to avoid ethnocentrism
in our research
• Is it possible to completely avoid
ethnocentrism?
Cultural Relativism
• The position that there are no universal
cultural values or ideas. A culture can only be
understood on its own terms, not from the
perspectives of other cultures. Ethical and
moral standards are relative.
Cultural Relativism
Our Goals
We want to understand the relationship:
• between the individual and the social
• between the patterns, practices, and events in
the broader social world and in our lives
3 Different Approaches to
Understand Culture and Sports
HISTORICAL
• Where does it come from?
• For what purpose was it created?
• In what particular ways and context?
COMPARATIVE
• Culture and Sport means different things to different people in different contexts
• Allows us to examine culture and sport from perspectives other than our own
• Sport means different things to cultures around the world.
CRITICAL
• We critique the way sport is constructed and enacted
• We ask questions and examine common assumptions
• We explore contradictions and complexities in sport and society
• We create change and explore new ideas.
• What is our view on performance enhancing drugs? Will our view change with time?
Why is the critical approach
challenging?
• Why does it make us uncomfortable, angry, or
upset?
- Because it creates cognitive dissonance: our
thinking is challenged by new ideas that are
not in harmony with what and how we
currently think
• Can cognitive dissonance be positive?
Yes, it can provide the power for change both
individually and collectively
Thinking Critically vs. Being Critical
• We develop social consciousness about sport
• We recognize problems and possibilities of
sport
• We avoid unthinking acceptance of current
practices
• We are committed to sport while also to
change it when necessary
• Sport is not just a game; it is a serious piece of
our culture (i.e. film, TV, advertisement,
clothing)
Be ready to think and challenge
yourself!
• Sociology is controversial
• We will talk about topics that will make you
disagree with others’ opinions
• Come ready to debate and listen
• Be ready to test your statements with
objective facts.
• We try to study the social world as scientists
And Stay Awake in Class!
Participate!
The Critical Approach
• Let’s try the critical approach with this article
on cyclist Lance Armstrong
• Why does the author say that this situation
has created cognitive dissonance?
DAY 1 - THE END