Social Dynamics of Sports: Participation, Roles, and Violence

The Partner Perspective in Sports: Empirical Science and Society Studies

This collection series examines the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and independent American and former French colonies. It explores the development of the 19th century, including societal changes like technological advancements, transportation, demographic growth, social mobility, and bureaucratization. Modern sports are a parallel phenomenon to social development, culture, and globalization. Distinct dimensions of sociology are considered:

• Functional (organic): Society as an interconnected system.
• Marxist: Focuses on the struggle between different interest groups.
• Figurative: Examines how conduct is regulated.
• Structuralism: Analyzes social classes.
• Symbolic Interactionism: Investigates the meaning of personal development.
• Feminist: Explores gender roles and inequalities.

Sports are viewed as an open system, subject to change, with four models (Heineman): competitive, expressive, spectacle, and instrumental. Sports serve as a democratic tool to achieve educational objectives. The evolution of sports committees is noted: from their birth in the 1970s to university studies in the 1980s and sociological studies in the 1990s.

Social Organization in Sports

This section delves into relationships and organizational types within society:

• Social Group: Regular relationships.
• Group Aggregates: Irregular relationships, coincidental.
• Social Category: Shared characteristics, may or may not be present.
• Primary Group: Small, face-to-face interactions.
• Secondary Group: Large, impersonal relationships.

Role:

• Group member role, external expectations, standards, sanctions.

Role Conflict:

• Complementary: Between different roles of different individuals.
• Intrarole: Conflicting expectations within a single role.
• Interpersonal: Different roles according to the same setting.

Status: Category, cachet, importance, cultural dependence. Types include ascribed and acquired privileges. Conflict arises from the status granted.

Types of Organizations:

• A Priori (Theoretical):
  • Blau and Scott (based on beneficiaries): mutual businesses, services, public.
  • Etzioni (based on control type): coercive, utilitarian, normative.
• Post (After Analysis):
  • Research and Development (R&D) book (number of members, public-private-mixed internal organization).
  • Puig, Moreni, and Lopez (size, history, values, and organization).

Bureaucracy: A model of modern society characterized by effectiveness, rules, hierarchy, control, wage hierarchy, and lack of organizational property.

Organizational Culture: In the 1970s, Japanese companies emphasized values beyond economics, including sports associations. Similar styles include collaboration, volunteerism, scanty rules, and heterogeneity problems.

Who Plays Sports and What Happens to Them?

Socialization: This is the process of social interaction and development. Factors influencing students include those who suffer, the context, and what influences them.

Participation in Sports: A dynamic process that depends on the characteristics of the athlete's environment and the opportunities provided.

Becoming an Elite Athlete: Stevenson's interactionist theory describes this as a continuous process involving specialization in many sports.

Being Accepted as an Athlete: Donnelly and Young describe sports subculture and identity formation in four stages: learning to associate with sports, understanding what people think, and being recognized within the group.

Entering or Not Entering Sports: Anita White emphasizes this as a continuous process influenced by interest, recognition, social support, previous experiences, and relationships with other areas.

Dropping Out: Factors include external factors, injuries, motivation, negative influences, end of a period, burnout, and lack of rewards for young people. It is crucial to highlight problems early. What happens beyond sports?

Maintenance: Does sports build character, or vice versa? It depends on the context, time, and previous experiences. Sports can improve health.

Impact on Life: Sports are a socializing factor but not the sole cause of socialization types. Three studies examine experiences, dominant subcultures, and the process of establishing hegemony (Gramsci).

Violence in Sports

Is violence inherent in the social reflection of sports? Violence is the disproportionate use of physical force that can cause harm. Aggression is a verbal or physical action intended to dominate, and it is not always considered violence. Historically, rules have decreased tension and served as a diversion.

Types of Violence (Mike Smith):

• Body contact.
• Borderline violence.
• Quasi-criminal (outside the rules, subject to fines).
• Criminal (subject to sentencing).

Uses of Violence: To gain fame and establish masculinity.

Institutionalization of Violence in Sports: Includes verbal violence (no contact) and increasing competition between men and women.

Injuries: A consequence of violence.

On the Field: Athletes believe success depends on physical contact.

Off the Field: Violence increases on the field and is dependent on what occurs off the field. Sexist violence includes harassment.

Among the Audience: Does violence originate on the field? Emotional contagion, media influence, live events, celebrations, and hooliganism are contributing factors.