Deck 1: Sport, the Body, and Forces of Change: an Introduction to Sport Sociology

Question 1

Using the general sociological definition of sport given in class, indicate which one of the following examples best illustrates sport.

A) a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) professional wrestling match held in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
B) a wrestling match between two people after they have had a few drinks and an argument at a bar
C) a Little League baseball game
D) friends who race each other on Saturday mornings at the local high school track

Answer 1

a Little League baseball game

Question 2

Why is it important to assure that sport is "serious competition"?

A) Maintaining serious competition in sport assures its integrity, which increases its appeal.
B) Fans like to know the outcome of sports events in advance.
C) Maintaining serious competition in sport means that sports officials can continue to count on the substantial financial investment by gamblers in sport.
D) Sports officials need to maintain serious competition in sport to make sure that the fun fans have at sports events does not get out of control.

Answer 2

Maintaining serious competition in sport assures its integrity, which increases its appeal.

Question 3

An example of sport sociology research about the body is a study of:

A) how sports injuries can be treated by medication and exercise.
B) the physical performance limits of athletes.
C) the psychological and physiological effects of drugs on the body.
D) differences in mass media portrayals of the bodies of male and female athletes and of able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability.

Answer 3

differences in mass media portrayals of the bodies of male and female athletes and of able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability.

Question 4

As sociologists, sport sociologists are likely to be interested in studying:

A) the personalities of the most dominant individuals in the Golden Triangle of a sport.
B) the effects of various types of diet supplements on athletic performance.
C) strength differences between male and female athletic superstars.
D) how the social class backgrounds of athletes influence their likelihood of becoming professional athletes.

Question 5

Our discussion of the nature and development of the social organization of modern sport indicated that:

A) professionalism first emerged in the twentieth century.
B) the increasing influence of the Golden Triangle has reduced the influence of corporate capitalism in sport.
C) sport has become less specialized and relied less on rational calculation as it has developed in the modern era.
D) religion and sacred purposes have become less important over time among athletes and in the organization of sport.

Question 6

The idea that sports have become "too rational" or "too scientific" is most likely to be based on:

A) an increasing number of athletes who are practicing their sports year-round because they love them.
B) an increasing number of student-athletes in NCAA sports programs who are majoring in exercise physiology, psychology and computer science.
C) increasing use of drugs, new equipment, and more sophisticated training techniques to improve athletic performance.
D) an increasing number of professional athletes who play video games.

Question 7

The idea that modern sport is "mediated" implies that:

A) television has a significant influence over modern sport.
B) modern sport could not exist without professional arbitration or mediation boards to resolve salary disputes between owners and players.
C) modern sport is a capitalistic enterprise.
D) rationality dominates corporate sports decision making.

Question 8

The Golden Triangle:

A) reflects the different and conflicting economic interests of big-time sports and their media outlets and corporate sponsors in the global cultural economy.
B) represents the dominant power structure in modern sports.
C) has become less influential in the sports world in recent years.
D) has made sport less corporate and commercial in the modern era.

Question 9

Sport sociology:

A) . is just like the sports segment of the evening news.
B) is more like sports fiction than it is like sport psychology.
C) has a norm of objectivity in collecting and analyzing data or evidence about sport.
D) is more interested in how performance-enhancing drugs are produced in the laboratory than in why, how, or how much athletes use them.

Question 10

According to Guttmann in his historical analysis of sport:

A) the factors he proposed to define and describe dominant sports forms today have only existed together, at the same time, in modern sports.
B) sports today are much less rationalized than in prior historical periods.
C) the tendency of individual athletes to play numerous positions in a sport is a characteristic of modern sport.
D) the influence of social privilege or higher class standing on access to sport is a major characteristic of modern sport.

Question 11

A social science approach to sport sociology implies that sport sociologists:

A) employ a critical perspective and thus, do not like watching sports.
B) look for evidence to support arguments about sport and society.
C) look for the unique aspects of social behavior in sport.
D) are especially interested in how the minds of sports participants shape their behavior.

Question 12

Sport is especially interesting and relevant to sociologists because it:

A) is physical.
B) involves mental concentration.
C) involves patterns of interaction among participants.
D) involves people.

Question 13

According to the text and discussion in this course, an important reason why sport is popular today among many fans is that fans see sport as:

A) McDonaldized.
B) rational.
C) authentic.
D) connected to the issues and problems of everyday life.

Question 14

Using the sociological imagination to understand sport means that you will:

A) focus on the uniqueness of individual events in sport.
B) see sport through the eyes of a psychologist.
C) try to connect individual sports experiences or events to broader historical, cultural, or social patterns of society.
D) rely on your common sense and your own imagination to understand sport.

Question 15

A socio-demographic force of change that has been transforming sport in recent years illustrated by:

A) commercialization.
B) McDonaldization.
C) global migration of athletes.
D) new medical devices and medications adopted by athletes.

Question 16

How is a sociological approach different than our everyday ways of looking at sport?

Question 17

What is one of the major contemporary forces of societal or global change mentioned in class that has been reshaping sport in recent years? Give a specific example showing its influence.

Question 18

What does it mean to say that a defining characteristic of sport as it was defined in this course is that it is institutionalized? Give a specific example to explain your answer.

Question 19

What does critical thinking in sport sociology mean? Give a specific example.

Question 20

What is one specific way that the Golden Triangle links sport to capitalism? Use an example to clarify.

Question 21

Based on your reading and class discussion in this course, why do you think that modern sport is so popular today? Be specific.

Question 22

What has been distinctive from an organizational or management standpoint about Billy Beane's approach as General Manager of the Oakland Athletics? Give a specific example of his approach.

Question 23

How are we defining the concept of sport in this course? State the definition of sport we are using.

Question 24

What do you think is meant by the idea that sport and the body have become "contested terrain"?

Question 25

What does the concept of "sociological imagination" mean, and how does it apply to sport?