SOC247: Sports in American Society

This discussion addresses Module Outcome 2. Your module notes and reading content demonstrate that the institution sport becomes more exclusive as children get older and the performance demands of a sport intensify. With increased specialization and societal rewards, youths who are good at some sport are often benefited in society, whether in school or in socioeconomic rewards (e.g., college scholarships, favorable student-athlete treatment, payments from local boosters etc.). As a result, anti-social behavior among athletes can occur, even at young ages, and is readily demonstrable in bullying behavior.
Your job in this discussion is to analyze how these social consequences occur and might be lessened. You will also offer suggestions for how the institution sport can become less exclusive and more communally supportive.
Please be sure to have the appropriate video and reading content completed before beginning the activity.
Before participating in this discussion, make sure you have completed the relevant video and reading content for the module. Drawing upon this content and your own independent research, please respond to the following questions:
Giving reference to the appropriate reading and video content, analyze what you think are the most significant reasons that the institution of sport creates an exclusive atmosphere within society, even youth society. For example, why do we see the social phenomenon of “popularity” surrounding young athletes in comparison to their non-athletic peers?What are some of the negative individual and societal consequences of encouraging controlled aggression and domination of others in youth team sports, or personal physical perfection in individual sports?Drawing on your own experiences and what you have reviewed in this module, provide at least two recommendations for how the institution of youth sports could have less of an exclusionary effect upon children and thus a broader benefit to society.