Sociology in sport
Prompt 1:
You are the athletics director at a private mixed-gender high school in Montreal. Your school, which was founded in 1907, has a very rich athletic history that has traditionally centered around the men’s football team. Many prominent, wealthy alumni are supporters of the team. Recently, after hearing stories in the media about the risk of concussion associated with football, some parents have begun to question whether it remains appropriate for the school to offer a football team. Although the risk of concussion was the factor that first raised questions, it seems there are many mixed-ideas amongst the parents, staff, and supporters regarding the risk and benefits of maintaining the football program.
List and discuss three reasons to support maintaining the football program and three reasons to support cancelling the football program.
Prompt 2:
Affirmative action is defined as the practice or policy of favouring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against. For example, companies may be more likely to hire a sports broadcaster who is a visible minority (e.g., gender, racial, ethnic) to demonstrate their value of promoting cultural diversity.
Discuss the potential positive and negative implications of affirmative action within sporting contexts.
Prompt 3:
Research has shown that many parasport coaches consider themselves to be “accidental experts”. The term “accidental expert” refers to the fact that parasport coaches are often able-bodied, had no intention of coaching parasport athletes at the outset of their coaching careers (i.e., had no specific training related to adapted sport), were introduced to parasport coaching when an athlete with a disability entered their program, and subsequently have had to learn (often on their own) everything they need to know about coaching parasport.
Using course content, discuss the sociological factors that explain how our sport systems have been set up in such a way that parasport coaches are so often “accidental experts”.
Prompt 4:
Maureen is the CEO of a medical devices company and she is currently recruiting candidates for the Director of Sales position in her company. When Maureen reviews application packages, she finds she is always attracted to candidates who were former athletes, particularly those who competed at the varsity level in University. In her career Maureen has had several former varsity athletes as employees and she has consistently been impressed by their performance.
List and explain at least two reasons Maureen may fairly expect excellent job candidates by hiring former varsity athletes, and list and explain at least two reasons Maureen may not end up with optimal candidates by advantaging former varsity athletes when selecting employees. Be sure to explain the sociological factors that inform your answer.
