Sociology of Sport: Theories on Power, Identity, Inequality

Sociological Theories of Sport

Functionalist Theory

Functionalist Theory

There is a natural, organic order to society. Everyone has a place within society and should remain in place so that society functions (works). Often used in the media. Mainstream opinion. Latent effects: doping, spectator violence, excessive marketing. Desired effects: spectators participate in sport.

Pros

• Channels aggression.
• Helps form national and personal identities.
• Focuses on positive aspects of sports.

Cons

• Does not take into account inequalities in society.
• Does not recognize that sports are social constructions that privilege or disadvantage some people more than others.
• Assumes all social groups benefit equally from sports.

Marxist Theory

Marxist Theory

Society is shaped by power and economic forces. Sports are studied by how they promote economic exploitation and capitalist expansion. Research focuses on how sports perpetuate the power and privilege of elite groups in society.

Pros

• It identifies problems in society.
• Challenges the Functionalist theory.

Cons

• Assumes that all social life is "economically determined."
• Ignores the importance of gender, race and ethnicity, age, and other factors in social life.
• Ignores the possibility that sport participation can be a personally and socially empowering experience.

Structuralist Theory

Structuralist Theory

Sociological landmarks are signs for us to read and follow. Sports cannot be analyzed individually; they have to be accepted as part of a bigger structure within which they are practiced. Class structure has an effect on sports practiced.

Pros

• Sports are more than a reflection of society.
• Sports consist of sets of relationships that are produced by people in society.
• Sports are the creations of people interacting with one another.
• Sports are the “social stuff” out of which society and culture come to be like now.

Cons

• No clear guidelines for identifying and assessing forms of resistance and strategies for producing transformation.
• No unified strategies for dealing with social problems, conflicts, and injustice.

Interactionist Theory

Interactionist Theory

Society is created and maintained through social interaction. Sports are given meaning by the people who play them and watch them. Sports and identities are related to experiences and participation and sport cultures.

Pros

• Changes sports to match the perspectives and identities of those who play them.
• Makes sport organizations more democratic, less autocratic, and less hierarchically organized.
• Questions identity formation processes that involve the normalization of pain, injury, and substance use in sports.

Cons

• Does not explain how meaning, identity, and interaction are connected with social structures and material conditions in society.
• Ignores issues of power and power relations in society and how they impact sport, sport participation, and sport experiences.