Week 6: Sports Media Introduction

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Questions and Answers

What is often a requirement for a truly meritocratic society?

Equal opportunity and equal condition (correct)

Recognition of talent and skill

High participation in all sports

Government funding for all athletes

Which factor limits social mobility in professional sports the most?

Injury rates and career longevity (correct)

Access to training facilities

Media representation of athletes

The number of available leagues

Which demographic is primarily affected by limited access to regular sports participation?

Higher income families

Those in poverty (correct)

Retired athletes

Children from middle-class backgrounds

Which statement about professional athletes is generally accurate?

They often have parents with professional careers Signup and view all the answers

What contributes to the misleading nature of the 'rags to riches' narrative in sports?

It overlooks the systemic disadvantages faced by many Signup and view all the answers

What do sociologists believe about the causes of serious health problems?

They are influenced by structural conditions as well as individual factors. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is categorized as an upstream factor related to health?

Access to education Signup and view all the answers

How is the societal ideology of healthism primarily characterized?

By emphasizing health from an individual perspective above other factors. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'life chances' refer to?

The likelihood of achieving economic power and financial success. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the concept of meritocracy as applied to Canadian and American societies?

It contradicts the notion of equal opportunity for all. Signup and view all the answers

Which condition is NOT considered as a structural factor affecting health?

Genetic predisposition to disease Signup and view all the answers

What is a common perception about individuals with larger body sizes?

They are often judged to have less self-control. Signup and view all the answers

How does social mobility differ from life chances?

Social mobility highlights shifts in wealth across generations. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of genetic similarity do humans share according to the Human Genome Project?

99.9% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary basis for racial classifications?

Social constructs Signup and view all the answers

The concept of the one-drop rule was primarily used to?

Ensure purity of the white race Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes scientific racism of the early 1900s?

It questioned the athletic success of black athletes. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'Black Girls Run' primarily focus on?

Encouraging community connections among black women. Signup and view all the answers

Person-first language emphasizes which of the following?

The person first Signup and view all the answers

How is identity-first language defined?

It addresses the disability before the individual. Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used for beliefs that label people as physically or intellectually disabled?

Ableism Signup and view all the answers

What is one justification the Government of Canada provides for funding high-performance sports?

To inspire citizens to participate in sports. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about public subsidy and sports facilities is true?

Public money helps build facilities for international events that mainly benefit upper classes. Signup and view all the answers

How do ticket costs for professional sports events affect public participation?

They have outpaced inflation, making it difficult for average citizens to attend games. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of ethnicity provided in the content?

A form of identification based on common history and cultural practices. Signup and view all the answers

What concept is associated with the socially constructed classifications of people based on physical characteristics?

Race Signup and view all the answers

What did scientific racism claim about Europeans?

They were superior intellectually, physically, and culturally. Signup and view all the answers

How did isolation affect genetic differences in species, including humans?

It resulted in variations, but not enough to classify distinct races. Signup and view all the answers

What influence did Europeans have on the development of racism?

They constructed beliefs of superiority during their expansion period. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary purposes of sports media narratives?

To exaggerate the spectacular aspects of sports Signup and view all the answers

How do sports media portray women in sports according to the ideological themes?

They often undermine women's accomplishments and sexualize their image Signup and view all the answers

What marked the privatization of sports media in Canada?

The launch of TSN in 1984 Signup and view all the answers

What role did the CBC argue in their fight to maintain access to broadcast NHL games in the 1990s?

The NHL audience provided subsidization for other programming Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of how Rogers uses its ownership in the sports industry?

By promoting mobile devices through exclusive sports broadcast rights Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the relationship of the Sports Media Complex?

It is a partnership focused on economic benefits and ideology Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant outcome of CBC and Radio-Canada televising hockey in 1952?

It reshaped Canadian identity in the context of sports Signup and view all the answers

What common-sense approach is suggested for addressing poor health issues?

Physical activity as a solution for health problems Signup and view all the answers

Which model of disability views the problem as lying within the individual rather than the environment?

Medical model of disability Signup and view all the answers

What is one objective of the social model of disability?

To advocate for rights enshrined in the United Nations Signup and view all the answers

What principle does universal design emphasize?

Creating environments that support all levels of ability Signup and view all the answers

What was the original purpose of the Paralympics?

To rehabilitate injured veterans through sports Signup and view all the answers

Which demographic was primarily represented in the early Paralympics?

White men with spinal cord injuries and amputations Signup and view all the answers

What significant change occurred regarding inclusion in the modern Paralympics?

Movement to include athletes with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities Signup and view all the answers

What impact does prioritizing spectator interest have on the Paralympics?

May reduce events for those with more intensive impairments Signup and view all the answers

What societal aspect is depicted by the term 'Empire of the Normal'?

Fostering an environment that values normalcy above all Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Week 6 Lecture 1: Sport Mediation

Sports are portrayed to the public using selected images
Storytelling in sports media uses melodramatic narratives, featuring heroes, villains, and women in supporting roles.
Sports media often exaggerates the spectacular and promotes rivalries.
Athletes are frequently presented as celebrity icons.

Ideological Themes in Sports Mediation

Gender: Women's accomplishments are often undermined and sexualized in sports media. There is an underrepresentation of women in sports media.
Sexuality: Homosexuality is often erased or hidden in sports.
Racial Identity: Sports media may use racial stereotypes, with white people often portrayed in certain sports.
Nationality: Sports media often promotes national pride and nationalism.

Week 6 Lecture 2: Sports Media Complex

Sports media is driven by economics and ideology.
Sports media organizations partner with pro sports leagues and advertisers to benefit mutually.
Partnerships generate billions of dollars in revenue via televised sports coverage.
Televised sport is a major industry in Canada.

Week 7: Physical Activity and Poor Health

Physical activity has benefits for mental and physical health.
Sociologists and health professionals see physical activity as a simplistic approach.
Serious health problems are chronic and multifactorial (multiple sources contributing to the problem).
Example chronic health problems include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and malnutrition.

Life chances are the odds of an individual reaching economic power and financial success.
Social mobility is how wealth changes within a generation.
Sport media portrays the narrative of rags to riches.
Sports media promotes the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which can be misleading and contradict the concept of meritocracy.

Meritocracy is the belief that success is based on ability; however, Canada and the USA are seen as contradicting this.
Social mobility in professional sports is often limited for high school athletes reaching professional leagues.
Concerns about longevity, injuries, and opportunity costs (disadvantages players may face compared to those who do not play).
Athletes' social class backgrounds often correlate with the type of sport they play, with expensive sports like golf more accessible to those with wealth.

Week 8, Lecture 3: Income, Poverty, and Sports Participation

Income affects health and development of children.
Women in poverty have less time for sports and leisure
People in poverty face barriers to participation in sports due to financial constraints.
The Canadian government's funding of high-performance sports is sometimes seen as a "trickle-down" effect encouraging participation in other sports.

Week 9, Lecture 1: Race, Racial Ideology, and Sports

Ethnicity: A form of identification based on common history, social, and cultural norms.
Race: A socially constructed concept, based on physical/genetic traits, and not biologically valid.
Racial Ideology: Ideas and beliefs, like associating Black people with athleticism, assigning different abilities based on physical characteristics, etc.
Racism: Racism can be seen as a historical process with European roots.

Week 9, Lecture 3: Sports and Radicalized Athletes

Sports are products and producers of racial ideology.
Racial minorities' experiences in sports are often structured and reflected in the socio-political hierarchy of the time.
Cultural factors play a role in how sports are portrayed.

Week 10, Lecture 1: Person-First Language and Ableism

Person-First Language: A way of referencing people with disabilities, starting with the person before their disability (e.g., "person with a disability").
Ableism: Ideas and beliefs that treat people who are not able-bodied as inferior or undeserving with less societal value.
People are frequently categorized into able-bodied and differently-abled groups. This categorization affects their access to resources, cultural representation, and overall impact on society.

Medical Model: Disability is presented as an individual's problem which needs to be fixed.
Social Model: Disability is a social problem, caused by the inaccessible environment. It focuses on adapting the environment to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
Universal Design: Designing environments and products to be accessible and usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Week 10: Continued

"Empire of the Normal": A concept that describes the prioritization of competitive and high-performance sports that marginalize other types of sports.
Paralympic History: Discussion of the history of disability sports and movements, such as the work of Ludwig Guttman in the postwar era.
The Paralympics were initially created to assist injured military veterans.
Inspiration Porn: The idea that people with disabilities are glorified more often than not, resulting in a skewed and unrealistic portrayal of their struggles.

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Description

Explore the complex world of sports mediation and ideology in this engaging quiz. From storytelling techniques to the portrayal of gender, sexuality, and race in sports media, this assessment will challenge your understanding of how sports narratives are shaped. Delve into the powerful influence of economics and partnerships within the sports media landscape as well.