Sport For Many Australians example essay topic

Many factors impact on the concept of sport being a 'level playing field'. Race and ethnicity play an enormous role in making sport as un equitable as it is. Both migrants and Black people face discrimination everyday for issues such as there 'natural ability' to perform well and there lack of interest in so-called 'Australian sports'. Socio-economic status, accessibility and availability are issues that make sport even more accessible for some groups. Money plays a huge role in what sports people can play because of the huge membership and insurance fees that athletes in today's society are obliged to pay.

Also, if people live away from sporting facilities this will also discount from their performance in an event compared to an athlete who can train in a stadium environment every day. Gender and sexuality play what some may say 'the largest role' in sporting inequity. The discrimination faced by both males and females is by far the most controversial aspect of sport. Female athletes are still considered to not be as important in the sporting field, and both male and female sexual statuses are under constant scrutiny with rumours of people being homosexual becoming more common.

The final point in why sport is not a level playing field is the media's coverage of only specific sporting events. The media is the big business of today's sport and without it many sporting teams and events could not survive because of all the added revenue the media brings in with sponsorship deals. The purpose of this essay is to decide wether or not sport can ever be a level playing field? Investigation into this question has proven that sport is not, and never will be a level playing field. Females have never been given equal access to sport, their activities have never been treated with the same importance as males.

Many attempts have been made to improve this. The imbalances between males and females have encountered long and stubborn resistance from a conservative male-dominated sports world. Stoddart claims that "Sport until recently has been unquestionably men's sport" (p 124). But as Stoddart argues: "Australian sport is not simply about sexual discrimination so much as stereotyping of gender roles and attitudes, because sport has been a major determinant of how men and women see themselves in relation to each other" (p 135). Any person, male or female, stepping outside the standard sporting sexual roles was considered to challenge the pattern of normal social behaviour.

To be masculine meant displaying physical strength, courage, assertiveness, leadership and organisational skills. Being feminine was associated with having passive, caring, dependent, supportive and emotional abilities. The tendency for some women's bodies to be smaller and weaker than men's has been used to somehow justify excluding women from vigorous physical activities and to legitimize the 'natural's uperiority of men's bodies. Therefore, not surprisingly, some of the first sports taken up by women were tennis, croquet and golf, because these sports were seen to emphasise grace, non-competitiveness, and non-exertion.

Despite being proven false by research, myths about the natural weakness of women are still raised both obviously and informally to exclude them from using some sporting facilities and playing certain sports. Especially those involving vigorous bodily contact. This is evident when McKay argues that: "Women also have less access to sport than men because of oppressive economic and legal structures and because women's leisure in general is 'policed' by men" (p 53). Furthermore, although women have continually challenged the structure of society, they still have much less opportunity than men to get involved and stay involved in sport.

For example, there are sufficient imbalances in the number and types of events available to male and female competitors at the Olympic games. As McKay concisely put it, "Fundamentally the major problem for women's sport is men's sport" (p 53). Sex discrimination still remains a pervasive feature of the sports world and to many people it will always be present. This pattern has been reinforced by the values, attitudes, and behaviour of women themselves in some cases. Although Nixon has stated that: "Reducing discrimination is not to make females equal competitors to males, but rather, it is to give females the same opportunity as males to enjoy athletics and to attain excellence among equally capable performers" (p 50).

Sexuality is also an issue in sport. Both male and female athletes feeling the pressure to conform to what society deems acceptable. In sport, many boys encounter a subculture riddled with a confusing array of heterosexual, homosexual, and homophobic values. McKay declares that: "Many males are also oppressed physically, emotionally and sexually by sport and those who reject its macho aura are often ostracized or stigmatized by males and females" (p 55).

An example of this is the male dancers and figure skaters that are frequently subjected to ridicule and rumours about their manliness from both males and females. Women are also frequently finding their sports being promoted for reasons other than the skills they possess. Brian Stoddart found that "Women's tennis was found to attract male viewers who like looking at pretty legs and figures as well as tennis" (p 154). Further evidence of women's inferior position in sport is the ever-present cheerleaders at men's events. According to McKay these females: "Dressed in skimpy costumes, even during inclement weather, (Women cheerleaders) epitomist the dominant stereotype of women as decorative and glamorous supporters of men" (p 54). Allegations of homosexuality are levelled at both male and female athletes.

Males are said to be 'playing like a girl' if they don't play as society deems acceptable. Women are also subject to societies jibes. Girls who play football or rugby league are often referred to as 'tomboys'. Once again, females are discriminated because they don't abide by what society deems normal feminine behaviour. As McKay says: "Lesbianism is just one way women are marginalised and their efforts trivialized in sport" (p 54). Race and ethnicity are essential parts of sport and why sport is not and never will be a level playing field.

The issue of 'blacks' being discriminated against is a very hot topic in sport discrimination at the moment. McKay has found that "Several sociological studies have shown that sport is just as racist as the wider social context it is placed in" (p 56). Black male athletes tend to be over-represented in strength and contact sports such as football, but under represented in high status ones such as golf and tennis. Furthermore, McKay claims "However successful these black athletes have been, they are conspicuously absent from 'brains' positions (e. g, quarterback) and over-represented in 'brawn' locations" (p 57). Black people are also under represented, if represented at all, in administrative, managerial, coaching and ownership positions in almost all professional sports. When blacks become successful, in certain sports and events, their achievements are often 'explained' with elaborate racist mythologies.

McKay found, that many people see blacks as having " 'natural ability' or 'rhythm' or some innate anatomical or physiological 'advantage' over whites" (p 57). Stoddart found that: "The enormous cultural emphasis placed on sport in its Australian context means that the community at large has judged the worth of culturally different groups as much by there degree of adoption to traditional Australian games as by there accommodation of other social institutions" (p 158). And it is clear that sport has kept diverse Australian cultural groups apart as much as it has united them. On the other hand, as supported by Stoddart: "The myth of sport in Australia being open to all has precluded the idea that community groups such as Aboriginals might not have access to or perhaps even be disadvantaged by it" (p 162). For most aboriginals, the resources of European sport have been as difficult to conquer as the other resources of European culture.

The discrimination endured by the few successful hopefuls has been part of the discrimination encountered generally. Stoddart argues, "Some people have argued that boxing is dominated by the 'cultural fringe' of any community, groups in economically and socially deprived positions" (p 166). Boxing rarely provides a lasting social or economic escape for the cultural fringe. For aboriginals, that has proved even more the case than for many others. As Stoddart put forth, "It has been one of the few 'European's ports where aboriginals have featured prominently; sport, 'the great equaliser', has generally not treated them well" (p 167). What it has done, for the most part, is to confirm that aboriginals are at a social disadvantage.

In most other sports, cost, social status and education have worked against aboriginal success. For many migrants, Australian games such as cricket take far too long to play. Cricket involves an undesirably long absence from the workplace, particularly if they were employed in a small self-run business. To many nationalities, soccer was their chosen sport because the soccer club was a major link with their expatriate community.

In major Australian capitals there are German, Dutch, French, Italian, Swiss, Yugoslav, Polish, Czech, Maltese and Spanish soccer teams. To Australians, soccer is still considered a somewhat 'outsider's port, with references still being made to the sport being called 'wog ball'. Today, Australian football and Rugby league provide alternative examples of how newer generations of migrants have seen a particular way to social acceptance through cultural adaptation in sport. But many migrants cannot make it in Australian sport because many Australians are guilty of not acknowledging their achievements because the athlete is not of the right ethnic background to achieve success. Stoddart agrees with this, saying that: "The message here is that sporting prowess alone will not guarantee social acceptance, contrary to the egalitarian myth; such prowess does not always overcome other discriminations" (p 179). Sport remains a true monument to the belief that sport creates equal opportunities for everyone in an open society even though the experience of aboriginals and migrants, as well as that of women and the financially disadvantaged, suggest that the reality is entirely different.

Remoteness, poorer socio economic status and areas with limited facilities are also an issue when it comes to considering wether or not sport is a level playing field. Stoddart stated that the myth of sport being "Open and accessible to all, irrespective of social or economic station" (p 33), came about early in the evolution of Australian society. It took firm root and, despite considerable evidence to the contrary, continues to flourish. Sport is also unethical in its fairness when it comes to both participation and access to both sport and facilities. Stoddart claimed that sport was used to: "Instil the required social values and conventions; teamwork, loyalty, courage, obedience to the laws, and the rewards of persistence, and different social groups established dominance over particular sports" (p 35). Every sport known to man began as a target for one of the socio-economic strata's of society.

Rugby Union evolved for the middle-class professional and semi-professional groups. Rugby league was distinctly for the working class males. Cricket, with the assistance of socially dubious professional players, became a sport for the upper-middle class. Soccer, on the other hand, was transformed into a game for the working classes, mostly as spectators. Another level of inequity is the access to sporting equipment for the lower socio-economic groups. To play a sport regularly and seriously requires the right uniform, good equipment, and the ability to pay entrance, subscription, insurance and membership fees.

Stoddart declared that: "From an early point in the social formation of Australian sport, the purchase of a cricket bat, a tennis racket, a set of lawn bowls or golf clubs represented a financial outlay of considerable funds" (p 39). It is for the above reason that many people would 'choose' to play, for example, football, where the costs were minimal rather than golf where the costs were excessive. The relationship between access and economic status in sport raises the question as to wether or not sport can ever be a level playing field, if some competitors are unable to afford the luxuries that others can. Brian Stoddart has rightfully claimed that: "Sport is not and never has been from the great classless institution in Australian life; indeed, sport for many Australians is a major area where class and status are most commonly encountered. Perceptions about class and status are frequently blurred by the illusion of sporting equality" (p 55). In sport, perhaps the most idealistic myth is 'all men are created equal'.

Nixon states: "It is obvious that they are not and never have been. In all human societies, people are born with different mental and physical characteristics and capacities" (p 32). Some people appear to be clearly more equal than others, with personal characteristics of intelligence, physical skill and physical attractiveness. However, Nixon also considers that: "People are not only born unequal, they become unequal during their lifetime.

A persistent feature of human societies is patterned inequality in the distribution of social rewards such as money and material possessions it can buy: education, prestige, athletic trophies, and fame" (p 32, 33). The concept of the poor achieving their dreams of becoming a sporting superstar are shown in Nixon's book: "Upward mobility is generally regarded as a core aspect of the American dream. The 'rags to riches' myth occupies an especially prominent place in the world of sport, for every major sport has its heroes who were recruited from humble social origins and rose to unimagined heights of social and economic success" (p 33). This idea is consistent with the sports creed to believe that the opportunity for success in sports is open to all. The achievement of athletic success comes to all who work hard, obey the rules and effectively demonstrate their ability. However, despite the dominance of such thinking in sport, the facts undeniably dispute its validity.

This is because people in sport, as in society, for which it is an integral part, one can typically find discrimination. Nixon states that: "On the basis of social characteristics arbitrarily evaluated as less desirable, individuals are systematically denied access to positions in sport, especially prestigious ones; they are systematically denied access to sports facilities, especially high- quality ones; and they are systematically under rewarded for their achievements in whatever roles they play" (p 33). There are a variety of factors in sport, which contribute to the role strain making athletes susceptible to the temptation of taking drugs to fix all their problems. The use of drugs, more often than not illegal ones, has become one of the more prevalent and more dangerous methods by which athletes have tried to resolve role strains created or exacerbated by the importance of winning.

They also have to contend with the demand for consistent, high-quality performance. There is a strong emphasis placed by society on the monetary value of being 'good' at sport. Combined with this the recognition that sports skills can serve as a means of earning a large amount of money for only a relatively brief span of time. The use of illegal drugs in the sporting arena leads to athletes having unfair advantages over others. An example being, the Chinese swimmers and Romanian weightlifters. Why these people choose to use these drugs is another story but the fact that they are being used to enhance performance negates the assumption that sport is a level playing field.

The media has a large impact on sport and what sports the public views. Stoddart argues, "The media until very recently have consistently served the dominant cultural view concerning the social purpose of sport in its Australian setting" (p 84). The media have been one of the key social agencies in placing sport amongst the main conservative forces in Australian life. But as Stoddart revealed: "In a country so allegedly preoccupied with sport, there is, in fact, a very narrow selection of sports covered in depth.

And the sports that are covered are invariably played by males and, just as invariably, are 'traditional' games such as football and cricket, rather than newer activities like windsurfing and wakeboarding" (p 85). Sport has been an important media vehicle for carrying particular social attitudes born in the past. In short, the media has had a conservative impact on every aspect of Australian sport. Without television and the media's involvement in sport, many teams and sports in general would not be able to survive. This is evidenced in Nixon's book when he reveals that: "There is no way we could survive without television. We couldn't make it without the income and we couldn't make it without the exposure (p 61)".

The sports industry's dependence on national and local network television for commercial success can be considered somewhat unstable. This has occurred due to is the dependence on businesses to pay increasing advertising costs during television sports programs. The media's effect on sport as a level playing field is obvious as teams that do not gain media coverage are therefore disadvantaged due to lack of sponsorship and commercialisation. A large number of Australian sports have changed from a recreational pastime to a business activity. This has altered social attitudes towards sports. In today's society it is the people who watch the players who suddenly have the economic power that attracts the sponsor.

As Stoddart reveals: " 'Show us market and we " ll show you the money' is basic message for would be sponsorships beneficiaries" (p 116). One basic fear amongst sporting authorities is that as Stoddart claims: "It might provide an avenue for upward social mobility to groups that have none otherwise but that might eventually challenge the established order" (p 126). The twist is, that the other side of the tradition continues. Many major sports groups concentrate on making a profit while largely denying the same right to their players. It is for a variety of reasons that sport can never be a level field. Race and ethnicity cause too much discrimination due to people still believing that black people have an 'unnatural' advantage over every other competitor.

Socio-economic status affects what sports people can play and disadvantages the lower economic groups because they cannot afford the equipment and fees that they need to pay to become successful at any sport. Gender plays a vital role because sport cannot be seen as a level playing field if it doesn't allow women to compete in contact sports. And finally, the media provides many teams with the coverage they need to survive but the sports that the media doesn't cover are extremely disadvantaged because they loose revenue and sponsorship because no-one ever sees their sport on television. Sport will never be a level playing field because there are too many things that would need to change for sport to become equal for everyone.