Critical Theories in Sports

Leisure and Sport Policy Lecture 1

• The lecture is titled "Leisure and Sport Policy and Planning, Lecture 1: Sports Development Foundation,"
• The course is TFLM 3015
• The lecturer is Dr Earl Mc Carthy
• The lecturer's email is [email protected]

Module Content

• The module covers various lectures including:
  • Sports & Leisure Development
  • Socio-Political Factors of Sports Development
  • International Sporting Frameworks
  • Strategic Planning For Leisure & Sport Development
  • Equality in Sport
  • Partnerships in Sport
  • Olympic Games & Sports Development
  • Sports Clubs & Sport Development
  • Sports Development & Sports Coaching
  • Group 1 Presentation
  • Group 2 Presentation
  • Course Review

Exam

• There will be a written exam during the exam period
• The exam is worth 50% of the overall grade
• Students need to answer 2 out of 3 questions

Group Assignment

• A 3,000-word group essay is required
• The essay is worth 50% of the overall grade
• It includes a presentation
• Groups analyze national sporting frameworks (excluding Ireland and the UK), using a macro and meso level viewpoint
• Present the assignment in a PowerPoint presentation (approximately 15 minutes), with each group member speaking
• The essay and PowerPoint slides should be submitted via Brightspace by Friday, November 22nd, at 17:00

Sport & Leisure Development

• Sports development is part of a broader discussion that includes: Olympic Games, development, Lottery funding, mass participation, social inclusion, talent development, and elite performances, wider educational, social, and economic policies and practices.
• Sport development includes specific policies, processes, and practices that effectively promote interest, participation, or performance in sport
• Sport development is more than just officers; it involves schools staff, coaches, teachers, facility managers, community workers, youth workers, health specialists, policy makers, local and national politicians
• There is tension between stakeholders, specifically between elite sport and mass participation
• Some believe that sport development should be used for broader cultural, social, political, and cultural aims, while others believe sport should exist for its own sake, emphasizing its intrinsic nature.
• Sport has additional external contributions, including government policy, national prestige, diplomacy, tourism, inner city regeneration, local community development, health and gender/race issues and disability access

Political Ideologies

• Political ideology significantly impacts sport development policies
• It's crucial to understand the inherent political ideology driving a sport system for better understanding and critique
• Political ideologies (conservatism, liberalism, social democracy, neo-liberalism) each have differing projected approaches on how sport should be provided and developed
• Sports development policy is not independent from political ideology and can reflect values, ideas, and mandates for actions.
• Political ideologies include various values such as Western liberal values, non-Western perspectives, Marxism, feminism, critical race theory, and environmentalism

Political Ideologies - Conservatism

• Traditional conservatism stems from a reaction to the French Revolution
• It aims to maintain the existing status quo
• Accepts existing social inequalities as natural
• Prioritizes loyalty to the church, state, with the state holding supreme authority and values based on tradition, allegiance and authority

Political Ideologies - Liberalism

• Liberalism emerged during the Enlightenment period and from the middle classes
• Emphasizes individual freedom in thought and deed
• Promotes individualism and democracy, along with the freedom of expression
• Encourages rights to pursue economic goals
• Encourages private property
• States have the primary role to minimize intervention, maintain order, and allow individuals their freedom toward self-interest in a free-market environment

Political Ideologies - Social Democracy

• Social democracy seeks to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of market forces rather than revolution
• It recognizes the capitalist system inherent imbalances in wealth distribution
• It aims for equality through state intervention in the welfare state, including government involvement in the economy via minimum wage, income support, and redistribution of wealth
• Uses progressive taxation to provide healthcare, education, housing.

Political Ideologies - Neo-Liberalism

• Also known as New Conservatism, Thatcherism, or Reaganomics
• Criticizes the post-World War II welfare state, believing it leads to dependency
• Promotes self-reliance and responsibility
• Supports a restructuring of the state to function with free-market forces and private sector ideologies
• Emphasizes profitability, entrepreneurship, income generation, customer care, and performance-related pay
• It is focused around individual achievement and self-determination rather than collective good.
• The 'new right' aligns with traditional conservatism, favouring a strong nation state and robust de-regulated markets, with a change in the nature of the state's relationship with the welfare state.

Conflict-Marxism Theory

• Society is shaped by economic forces and structures
• Sports are viewed as mechanisms for capitalist expansion and economic exploitation
• This theory examines the power dynamic between elite groups and their perpetuation within society
• The inherent economic inequalities are seen as a cause for dissatisfaction, rather than a natural occurrence, and advocates for a redistribution of resources
• The theory sees sport as something that can be used as a tool by the elite to suppress the awareness of the social issues affecting others

Feminist Theories

• Society and sport are gendered systems
• Sports are centered around the values and experiences of men with power and influence
• Feminist theory analyzes how sports perpetuate traditional gender roles and ideas about physicality, sexuality, and the body
• These ideas are critiqued and studied, including how women are represented or how they resist those dominant gender ideologies.

Critical Theories

• Critical theories examine the social production, power relations, and ideological struggles
• They emphasize that sports are not simply reflections of society but are actively shaped by cultural production, social constructions, and power relationships
• These theories analyze sports as sites for cultural transformation that are shaped by people and their interactions; they see sports as the material expression of interactions and relationships that define societies
• Sports can be used to challenge and transform oppressive practices and increase participation opportunities
• These theories challenge the current status quo and the voices of those with power within that sport society.

Sport Policy

• Sports are still seen as a uniting force, including teachers, coaches, police, community workers
• Rebuilding communities, values, and health lifestyles
• International standard sports have been reassessed
• Conflicts between elite sports achievement and mass participation
• Post-war policy emphasis on mass participation and developing talent
• A shift toward a change in how sports are funded and supported
• The concept of a welfare state is questioned in relation to sports
• The funding of sports was questioned, and the role of commercial and voluntary sectors was highlighted

Political Ideologies – London 2012

• Government policy arguments for the London 2012 Olympic Games focused on harnessing passion for sport, increasing school participation, and encouraging a more active lifestyle
• Maximizing the economic value of the Games through investment and tourism
• Promoting community engagement and participation through volunteer work
• Focus on east London regeneration and the Olympics as a driver for regeneration
• Policy objectives are evaluated and monitored

Readings

• Included reference to two readings about sport, leisure and the civilizing process by Dunning and Rojek and Sport and Society by Frey and Eitzen

This quiz explores the intersection of critical theories and sports, focusing on how sports reflect societal changes and serve as sites for cultural transformation. It also examines the roles of various political ideologies, such as Traditional Conservatism and Liberalism, in shaping sports policy and society's perception of inequalities.