Interna tional Jo urna l o f M ultidisciplina ry Research and Develo pment 2014 ; 1 (6 ): 21 5-216

IJMRD 2014; 1(6): 215-216

www.allsubjectjournal.com The sociology of sports and physical education
Received: 06-11-2014
Accepted: 30-11-2014 Sukhvir Singh
e-ISSN: 2349-4182
p-ISSN: 2349-5979
Impact Factor: 3.762 Abstract
Although sports sociology is a sub discipline of exercise science, it is also a part of the parent discipline
Sukhvir Singh of sociology, which is the study of human behavior and social interactions within particular contexts.
M. Phil, Sports sociology examines sports as a part of cultural and social life, and adds a different dimension
Department of Physical and perspective to the study of sports and exercise. More specifically, sports sociology examines the
Education, M.D.U, relationship between sports and society and seeks answers to many issues and questions regarding
Rohtak, India. sports and culture.
Sports are a pervasive part of culture and are considered to be social constructions within society
created by groups of individuals and based on values, interests, needs, and resources. Sport forms are
created by groups of individuals. Each culture creates and uses sports for its own purposes; therefore,
sports take different forms from culture to culture.

Keywords: Sociology, human behavior, social interaction

1. Introduction
Sociology of sport and physical education, alternately referred to as sports sociology, is a
sub-discipline of sociology which focuses on sports as social phenomena. It is an area of
study concerned with various socio-cultural structures, patterns, and organizations or groups
involved with sport.
There are many perspectives through which sport can be viewed. Therefore, very often some
binary divisions are stressed, such as: professional vs. amateur, mass vs. top-level, active vs.
passive spectator, men vs. women, sports vs. play (as an antithesis to organized and
institutionalized activity). Following feminist or other reflexive and tradition-breaking
paradigms sports are sometimes studied as contested activities, i.e. as activities in the centre
of various people/groups interests (connection of sports and gender, mass media, or state-
politics).
The emergence of the sociology of sport (though not the name itself) dates from the end of
the 19th century, when first social psychological experiments dealing with group effects of
competition and pace-making took place. Besides cultural anthropology and its interest in
games in the human culture, one of the first efforts to think about sports in a more general
way was Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens or Thorstein Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class.
In 1970, sports sociology gained significant attention as an organized, legitimate field of
study. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport was formed in 1978 with the
objective of studying the field. Its research outlet, the Sociology of Sport Journal, was
formed in 1984.
Today, most sports sociologists identify with at least one of four essential theories that define
the relationship between sports and society, namely structural functionalism, conflict theory,
critical theory.
Each culture creates and uses sports for its own purposes; therefore, sports take different
forms from culture to culture. This directly relates to the concept of physical activity and
exercise for different cultures. Because of various factors, such as religion, politics, and
economics, certain groups of individuals may have limited access or be restricted or
forbidden to take part in sports and/or exercise activities. Thus the value of sports takes on
different meanings in different cultures. Other factors, such as which controls sports, what
rewards (intrinsic or extrinsic) are received from sports participation and the status of the
Correspondence: athlete, have some effect on the value and place of sports in a particular society. The purpose
Sukhvir Singh
of this chapter is to familiarize the student with the social issues that permeate society and
M.Phil,
Department of Physical thus permeate sports.
Education, M.D.U, It is only since 1970 that sports sociology has gained significant attention as a serious area of
Rohtak, India. study.
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International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

This is in part owing to the increasing major role sports play Athletics for Women (AIAW) founded 1971. It is wanted to
in our lives and the intellectual traditions in both physical prevent women’s sports from becoming a copy of men’s
education and sociology. sports – “Must the Women’s Rights movement demand for
In 1978, the North American Society for the Sociology of our young girls a share in the things that are wrong in sports
Sport was organized as a professional association; and its today as well as a share in the rights in order fully to prove
scholarly outlet for research, the Sociology of Sport Journal, equality?” Outlawed athletic scholarships initially, but
was established in 1984. The International Committee for rescinded in 1973 due to pressure and Title IX – allowed 4 yr
Sociology of Sport is acknowledged within the International scholarships. It disbanded in 1982.
Sociological Association, and both groups co-sponsor the The NCAA incorporated women’s sports and began offering
International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Another women’s championships in 1980. “Mainstreaming” of
scholarly publication for sports sociology research is the women’s collegiate sports actually decreased coaching and
Journal for Sport and Social Issues, thus confirming support administrative opportunities for women – in 1972 >90% of
for and the growth of this sub discipline of exercise science. women’s teams had female coaches, by 1998; this percentage
Ways to study sociologic phenomena in sports rapidly had dropped to 47%. However, participation of women in
became an issue with scholars as sports sociology was sports increased, particularly at the High School level.
striving for legitimacy within the academic community. The effects on Men’s Sports in 1992, Brown University tried
Kenyon and Loy defined sports sociology as the "study of to cut 2 women’s varsity sports and 2 men’s varsity sports.
social order"; and in later works, Kenyon set the tone for Members of one of the women’s sports (gymnastics) sued
sociology of sports to take a positive perspective, noting that under Title IX and ultimately, Brown was forced to reinstate
sports sociology is a "value-free social science" in which the the women’s teams. This ruling (which took five years in the
researcher is to describe and explain values and attitudes not courts) came despite the fact that Brown offered more
shape them. However, value-laden research is also women’s varsity teams than all but one other University in
undertaken when various perspectives and theories are used the country. There was no such option for the men’s sports.
to study sports. For example, Football, in particular, presents problems for equalizing
The feminist perspective as a part of critical theory is participation numbers.
obviously a value-laden approach, as is the conflict theorist's
approach; but bias is recognized, acknowledged, and 2. References
analyzed carefully within these approaches. 1. Mills, C. Wright. 1959. The Sociological Imagination.
Sociology of sports poses critical and controversial issues. New York: Oxford University Press. 69.Mills, C.
Because sports are considered a microcosm of society, the Wright. 2000. The Power Elite. New ed. New York:
same social issues that exist in larger society also exist in Oxford University Press. 70.Novak, Michael. 1976. The
sports. Sociology uses critical and conflicting approaches Joy of Sports. New York: Basic Books.
that force us to explore alternative ways to view the place 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_sport
and organization of sports in bur society as well as how 3. Scott, Jack. 1971. The Athletic Revolution. New York:
issues and problems presented by sports in society affect Free Press. Shilling, Christopher. 1993. The Body and
individuals. Social Theory. London, England: Sage.
Historical Perspective in 1800’s, historically, participation of 4. http://www.hhp.txstate.edu/hper/faculty/pankey/1310/Sp
women in sports was discouraged or banned. Starting around tSoc.htm
1850, physical education for women was introduced at 5. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/pe/exs190web/190socio1.htm
colleges. Sports included bowling; ice skating, archery,
swimming, and equitation. By the 1890’s, sports venues for
college women expanded to include tennis, golf, baseball,
track and field, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball.
Basketball was particularly controversial. These sports were
generally offered in the context of physical education NOT
varsity sports.
Early 1900’s, Collegiate sports opportunities for women
grew in the 1920’s and 30’s, but opposition did not wane –
National Association of Secondary Principals 1925 “sooner
or later, the spectacle of interscholastic contests among girls Sukhvir Singh
gives rise to undesirable and even morbid social influences”. M.Phil, Department of Physical Education,
Basketball, track & field, and softball were considered too M.D.U, Rohtak
“masculine” for proper women. By the late 1930’s, many
high schools and colleges eliminated these sports for women.
Effect of WWII, WWII sent many women into non-
traditional roles. The All-American Girls’ Professional
Baseball League was founded in 1943 and lasted until 1954.
At the collegiate level, basketball, softball resurfaced,
however coaching was less available and travel considerably
more restricted than for men’s sports. Recruiting of women
athletes, were virtually non-existent, Ellie Daniel, 3 Olympic
medals in swimming, 1968.
AIAW – Movement to keep women’s athletics from
becoming a copy of men’s. Association for Intercollegiate
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