The document should be APA format, 6 – 10 pages, excluding the title and reference pages, double spaced, and 12 point font. It should include a minimum of 3 references. Cover as many of the 5 Student Learning Objectives listed above as are applicable to your topic:
1. Explain the diffusion of sport from a theoretical and historical perspective.
2. Consider the flow of people, cultures, institutions, and ideologies across borders.
3. Glean insight into the myriad factors driving sport development.
4. Evaluate the capacity of sport to act as an agent for change.
5. Critically assess the impact of mega-events on host communities.
Racism in Sports
Explain the diffusion of sport from a theoretical and historical perspective
In the pre-medieval era, sports were local. They played among citizens of nations. People participated in sports for entertainment, bragging rights, and acknowledgment from society. Sport was not commercialized during this era. In Rome, different sports existed like horse and chariot racing and gladiatorial combats. They had ‘heavy’ games like wrestling, boxing, and pankration in Greece. Horse race racing was done by the wealthy, who could afford horses and chariots—other sports like the ancient long jump, where athletes used jumping weights and running.
According to Borgers et al. (2013), the international sporting bodies (ISBs) started sport diffusion in 1891. The ISB globalized sports by organizing 27 world sports events. Pierre, baron de Coubertin, was among the founders of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC) in 1894. He believed that France lost in the Franco- Prussian war because the soldiers were not athletic and did not undergo physical education and training. England had embraced adding physical education to their curriculum, and Pierre traveled to study this education system. He met William Penny Brookes, the father of modern Olympic Games. The goal was to use sports to promote world peace.
In 1933, Hitler took over Germany, and there was an international debate on whether to boycott the Olympic Games. This resulted from the Nazi German using the eleventh Olympic Games to spread their agenda. However, Coubertin’s movement won, and the Germans promised to include Jewish athletes on German teams and not use the games to promote Nazi ideologies. Only one participated. In 1936, Jesse Owens, an African American athlete, won the long jump.
Theoretical perspective
Structural-functional approach.
Sports contribute a lot to society. It is a platform in which people interact and thus develop social relationships. It also provides job opportunities to citizens like coaching and selling sports equipment. As much as sports have immense value, it undermines education. Schools scout for exceptional athletes to create a winning culture in their sports and do not consider athletes who use sports as a college pathway to study their dream courses.
A social conflict analysis.
Throughout history, men have dominated sports, and although the gap has been narrowed, this is still the case today. Most people prefer watching men play to women. A good example is the big fan difference between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women Basketball Association (WNBA). As much as women participate in sports, they are not backed by society as men are.
Flow of people
Sports have influenced people to travel as it does in the modern-day. For example, in ancient Rome, the Circus Maximus was a place where many events were held. Gambling, marketing, and horse and chariot racing took place. It had a holding capacity of 385,000 people. A lot of people, including emperors and knights, were in attendance. Today, people travel across continents to watch their favorite teams play in the Olympics and as they compete for the world cup.
Culture, ideologies
As people travel, they interact with different cultures and ideologies. With technology and media, people often follow elite athletes on social media platforms where they express themselves. These platforms create the opportunities cultural exchange between players and the public.
Institutions
A lot of institutions sponsor specific sports teams. They use this to advertise and be involved in community events. Schools at all levels, primary, secondary, and tertiary, have teams in various sports.
Sport development refers to promoting opportunities for sports activities in a given community. It involves creating opportunities, structures, and opportunities to encourage people in a specific region to participate in the sport for recreation or enhance their performance. Sports development initiatives include providing the communities with standard equipment and facilities, funding, effective sports policies, and qualified personnel to promote sports activities in the community. For example, qualified personnel can coach or teach locals’ skills needed to help talented individuals and funds reach their maximum potential. Other examples of sports development programs include creating opportunities for locals to participate in sports projects targeting specific populations.
The factors driving sports development include support from government support, funding opportunities, and sports policies (Tuliao & Carag, 2020). Sports policies often dictate how sports organizations will operate and conduct their activities. Therefore, sports policies can either facilitate or constrain the efforts of those in the sports development arena. Sport developers cannot act on their initiatives unless the local policies support their endeavors.
Funding is another factor that can influence sports development. Meaningful sports development requires funding to be available (Tuliao & Carag, 2020). Funding allows sports developers to invest in facilities and equipment, and programs.
The government can also affect a community’s sports development. The government can help establish linkages between a community with other local, national, and international organizations, enabling the locals to acquire funding support and assistance from these organizations (Tuliao & Carag, 2020). The government can also allocate funds to sports activities or establish policies to ensure the effectiveness of local programs. These policies may motivate athletes, sports leaders, and trainers to improve the community’s or region’s sports systems.
Sport can act as an agent for economic, social, and personal change. A study conducted by Van der Veken et al. (2020) showed that community sports programs help improve a community’s health outcomes by encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles. According to the authors, people are more likely to engage in physical activity only if they consider it entertaining. Sport has that fun element in it. Many youths and men think of sports as fun and would engage in sports programs for entertainment. Consistent sports participation will increase their physical activity levels, promoting healthy lifestyles and reduce disease burden in this population.
Sports are also said to improve children and adolescents’ mental and emotional well-being. According to Van der Veken et al. (2020), sport reduces anxiety and increases self-efficacy, self-confidence, and social benefits such as meaningful relationships and connectedness among children and teens. For example, children who actively participate in sports tend to be more confident and social than their counterparts. Another study indicated that physically active people have better mental health outcomes than those with sedentary lifestyles. Social workers and other healthcare practitioners can use sports to change or improve the mental health status of a given community and people.
Sports can also serve as a vehicle for economic development and peace. Sports activities bring people together and has been instrumental in the wake of human crisis, disasters, and wars. For example, MercyCorps united people from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan and overcame political obstacles through the Ferghana Valley Youth Basketball League (USAID, 2010). “Playing for Peace,” an NGO headquartered in Washington DC, used basketball to unite Catholic and Protestant youngsters in Northern Ireland and children of diverse ethnic origins in South Africa (USAID, 2010). In Angola, the “Sports for Life” initiative used wheelchair basketball leagues and amputee soccer leagues to create a bridge for emotional and social recovery after tribal wars and conflicts. Typically, these programs offer locals a chance to engage and interact with the opposite group, creating opportunities for nurturing healthy relationships.
Sports have also been used to change societal views and perceptions of things. The Landmine Survivors Network (LSN) created sports events to change public perceptions of people living with disabilities. For example, the LSN organized a successful team of amputees to compete in a national swimming contest (USAID, 2010). This sports program demonstrated to the public that people living with disabilities also have innate abilities, dispelling myths and prejudices that discriminate against them.
Through numerous leagues and events, the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation’s (VVAF) Sports for Life initiative in Kosovo trained a team of sports experts and teachers to work with disabled students. They helped local communities establish disability sports advisory committees to oversee sports activities in their area.
Sports can also be used to advocate for social and policy change. Sports can bring people together; therefore, they can be used to promote social or policy change. Disadvantaged groups can use sports to stimulate teamwork and attract media attention to an issue that needs to be aggressed. Advocacy groups may leverage this capability inherent in sports to voice their concerns and bring change to their people or target populations.
Mega sports events can bring economic development to any given community. The host country must construct or rehabilitate existing sports facilities and equipment for the mega-events to happen. These activities often create new employment opportunities for locals, which, in turn, will improve the standard of living in the community. The mega-events may also lead to establishing new trade relations in the community (Elahi et al., 2021). The adverse economic effects of the sports events include inflation, price increases, and increased debts. Organizing a mega-event requires substantial investments, and some countries finance these investments through debts. Elahi et al. (2021) indicate that employment and increased investments are the most remarkable economic effects of mega-events despite these adverse effects.
Mega-events also promote tourism activities in the host countries. These events often attract public and media attention worldwide. The media will display images and footage of the host country, allowing the host to be recognized internationally (Elahi et al., 2021). Additionally, many people travel to these host countries for a live view of the sports event. Companies in the tourism and hospitality industry benefit greatly from these events because they have to accommodate the guests.
The mega-events will also affect the host country’s physical environment and infrastructure. The relevant authorities in the local government will need to improve local infrastructure and preserve the heritage in preparation for the event.
These events also have positive psychological and socio-cultural effects. For example, the event can change the image of the host country, which, in turn, will increase local pride, honor, and community spirit (Elahi et al., 2021). Additionally, it allows the host country to share its culture. Mega-events’ other positive impacts include social support, nationwide integration, and an increased sense of cohesion and security. Such events also have adverse social outcomes, including congestion or overcrowding, disruption in public discipline, increased crime, noise pollution, and increased living costs.
References
Elahi, A., Gholampour, S., & Askarian, F. (2021). The effects of sports mega-events on host communities: A systematic review of studies in three recent decades. Sports Business Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/1-17
Tuliao, R. D., & Carag, E. (2020). Factors affecting elite sports development in the philippines: A Delphi study. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24(3). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342347462_Factors_Affecting_Elite_Sports_Development_in_the_Philippines_A_Delphi_study
United States Agency International Development [USAID]. (2010). The role of sports as a development tool. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADE352.pdf
Van der Veken, K., Lauwerier, E., & Willems, S. J. (2020). How community sport programs may improve the health of vulnerable population groups: a program theory. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7245920/
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