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Rethinking Sport and Social Issues

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A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2023) | Viewed by 26085

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jesper Andreasson

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Guest Editor

Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, 351 95 Växjö, Sweden
Interests: gender studies; the sociology of sport; gym/fitness culture; body studies
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Dr. April Henning

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Guest Editor

School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Interests: women and sport
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary discussions and analyses on contemporary sport, its transforming nature, and social issues connected to our way of understanding both sport and broader social life. With “rethinking sport” we want to emphasize the ever-changing nature of sport. Historical and contemporary sport is not a fixed phenomenon, rather it develops in relation to culture and society, turning into future sport. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, new lifestyles and habits have evolved in the form of virtual solutions, interrupted or modified sport seasons and events, changes to how sport is practiced, and more. There are also new sports constantly evolving, as sportification processes in society may challenge our understanding of what constitutes sport and what does not. Rethinking sport thus also means embracing perspectives in which social and cultural change occur. Such changes may be particularly relevant when direction the attention to social issues of sport. The term “social issues,” is here understood broadly, and in this volume we want to emphasize how sport may counter or create inequalities and social injustices. We are interested in (but not limited to) analyses on sexual abuse in sport, intersectionality, human rights, subcultures, drug use, inclusion/exclusion, race and racialization, and economic inequalities. The issue welcomes contributions from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines including sociology, sport science, social work, cultural studies, gender studies, pedagogy, and more.

Dr. Jesper Andreasson
Dr. April Henning
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

intersectionality
inclusion/exclusion
human rights
drug use
diversity
sexual abuse
indigenous sport
COVID-19

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking the Vulnerability of Groups Targeted in Health-Promoting Sports and Physical Activity Programs

by Sine Agergaard and Verena Lenneis

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13010006 - 20 Dec 2023

Viewed by 970

Abstract

Vulnerability and related terms are increasingly used to describe the target groups of health-promoting programs involving sports and physical activity. Yet, such terms are often left undefined, creating an image of vulnerability that reinforces the health inequities the programs seek to counter. This article aims to reconceptualize vulnerability to help researchers and program personnel describe and support individuals and groups in vulnerable positions. To do so, we conceptualize vulnerability as a contentious phenomenon, emphasizing the spectrum between individual and community perspectives on vulnerability, along with between experts’ evaluation of (health) risks and lived vulnerability. We illustrate the utility of this elaborate conceptualization of vulnerability through a single case study of a walking program organized by a health promotion unit in a so-called deprived area in Denmark. Interviewing the health professionals, it was not surprising to identify that experts’ evaluations of risks are key to the program. However, employing the conceptual framework in its entirety, we also find indications of lived vulnerability and resistance towards their conditions among the program participants. We conclude that it is relevant for both researchers and program employees to consider the complete spectrum of risks and lived vulnerabilities, along with providing support not only to individuals in need but also to their communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

19 pages, 353 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trauma Prevalence and Desire for Trauma-Informed Coaching in Collegiate Sports: A Mixed Methods Study

by Elizabeth Alma Hertzler-McCain, Aerin McQuillen, Shalini Setty, Stephanie Lopez and Erica Tibbetts

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(10), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12100550 - 30 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1452

Abstract

This study investigated trauma prevalence amongst collegiate student-athletes and openness towards trauma-informed coaching practices among athletes and coaches at two small Division III colleges. Surveys gathered quantitative data from athletes (n = 91) and coaches (n =18) and qualitative data from athletes (n = 33). Quantitative results indicated that 52.7% of athletes experienced at least one potentially traumatic event during their lifetime. The most prevalent trauma was unwanted sexual contact. Additionally, 50.5% of athletes experienced sport-based harassment or abuse during their lifetime, with 21.7% of affected athletes experiencing said abuse in college sports. Athletes reported that 8 out of 10 trauma-informed coaching techniques included in the study were already implemented or desired for implementation at rates between 73.2–93.1% on their teams. Coaches also showed support for trauma-informed coaching, with 88.2% indicating they believed the practice was necessary in college athletics and a large majority of coaches agreeing or strongly agreeing with 8 out of 10 techniques. Qualitative results highlighted the variety of impacts that traumatic experiences have on athletes. The most reported themes were negative psychological and performance effects. Findings support the idea that trauma-informed coaching is necessary and desired in collegiate athletics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

13 pages, 308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In the Absence of Testosterone: Hormonal Treatment, Masculinity, and Health among Prostate Cancer Patients Engaging in an Exercise Programme

by Cecilia Rindhagen, Jesper Andreasson and Thomas Johansson

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(7), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12070417 - 20 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1517

Abstract

This study focuses on men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) treatment for prostate cancer who also participated in an exercise programme as part of their rehabilitation. Our aim was twofold. First, we aimed to describe and analyse how the participants talk about their treatment and its side-effects in relation to the body and masculinity. Second, we aimed to describe the participants’ understanding of and motivation to participate in a physical activity programme designed by healthcare professionals to deal with anticipated and unwanted bodily changes following treatment. Focus group interviews and individual interviews were conducted. Theoretically, the study leans on phenomenological theories of embodiment combined with a sociologically informed framework found in critical studies on men and masculinity. The results showed that the medical suspension of testosterone impacted not only the men’s understanding of themselves as men but also how they approached their own bodies. Testosterone was discussed as a source of masculinity and masculine traits. Consequently, the absence of testosterone following treatment led to ongoing reflections on how to understand the (ageing) body and its relationship to masculinity. The ageing ADT body, with growing breasts and a lack of libido, became a site of emasculation and bodily detachment. The men addressed this by displaying stoic masculinity; instead of addressing the problem emotionally they turned their attention and aspirations to having a capable body and being able to carry out physical work. However, participation in the exercise programme depended on recruitment by their physicians and was motivated by the opportunity to socialise with other men in the same situation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

28 pages, 766 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developmental Outcomes for Young People Participating in Informal and Lifestyle Sports: A Scoping Review of the Literature, 2000–2020

by Reidar Säfvenbom, Anna-Maria Strittmatter and Guro Pauck Bernhardsen

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(5), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12050299 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2467

Abstract

The aim of this study is to review the literature on lifestyle sports and lifestyle sport contexts with regard to the developmental potential they may represent in young people’s everyday lives. The review applies a relational developmental systems approach to youth development. The eligibility criteria are based on the phenomenon of interest and outcomes. Hence, we include studies examining the associations between young people performing lifestyle sports and potential developmental outcomes: mental, biological, social, and behavioral. The present study shows that the volume of research on informal lifestyle sport is rather extensive and that studies on the way these activity contexts may affect developmental processes in youth are diverse and wide ranging. The studies suggest that performing lifestyle sports may have several beneficial health and skills outcomes. Furthermore, positive associations are suggested between involvement in lifestyle sport contexts such as climbing, snowboarding, parkour, tricking, kiting, and surfing and (a) mental outcomes such joy, happiness, freedom, euphoria, motivation, self-efficacy, and well-being; (b) social outcomes such as gender equality, network building, social inclusion, interaction, friendship; and (c) behavioral outcomes such as identity, creativity, and expressions of masculinity and/or femininity. The review performed indicates that lifestyle sport contexts are flexible according to needs and desires that exist among the practitioners and that the human and democratic origins of these contexts make them supportive for positive movement experiences and for positive youth development. The findings have implications for PE teachers, social workers, policymakers, sport organizations, and urban architecture, in that providing lifestyle sport opportunities in the everyday lives of young people will foster a holistic development in a positive way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

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16 pages, 351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rio 2016 Olympic Legacy for Residents of Favelas: Revisiting the Case of Vila Autódromo Five Years Later

by Claudio M. Rocha

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030166 - 10 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2313

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore and describe the long-term social impact the Rio 2016 Olympic gentrification had in Vila Autódromo from the perspective of former and current residents. Vila Autódromo is a small favela located next to the Rio 2016 Olympic Park. It was almost totally removed during the process of preparing the area to host the Games. In this research, I interviewed 13 residents who passed through the process of eviction threats and displacement. Five still live in Vila Autódromo, whilst eight moved to social apartments provided by the city hall. Interviews revealed that the legacy of Rio 2016 for Vila Autódromo residents can be understood from three broad themes: (1) disempowerment of the community, (2) resistance and resilience during the process, and (3) life after the Games. The residents see the city hall as the main culprit of their displacement, as they were denied their right to the city. However, they also mention the catalytic role of the Olympic Games during the process. They conclude that the legacy of Rio 2016 for them is a very sad story. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

18 pages, 365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Athlete Perceptions of Governance-Related Issues to Sexual Abuse in Sport

by Jörg Krieger and Lindsay Parks Pieper

Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(3), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030141 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2449

Abstract

Cases of abuse in sport have emerged with frightening regularity over the past two decades. Scholarship has identified risk factors that can help facilitate abuse in sport and has explored athletes’ experiences with sexual abuse. However, less is known about athletes’ perceptions of the systematic organizational-level problems that fail to curtail sexual abuse. This article, therefore, explores what athletes believe to be the key issues in governance that facilitate sexual abuse in sport. An analysis of the lawsuits that athletes filed against US sport organizations and the testimonies they provided to the US Congress from 2017 to 2022 show four primary ways in which organizational culture, decisions and policies helped permit misconduct in sport. Athlete perspectives suggest governance issues related to monopolistic power structures, a lack of athlete representation, conflicts of interest, and commercialization facilitated an abuse-prone culture within Olympic and Paralympic sport in the United States. These findings show that athletes feel that the adjudication mechanisms that remain connected to sport bodies do not always curtail abuse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

20 pages, 312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Policies in Need of a Problem? A Qualitative Study of Medical and Nonmedical Opioid Use among College Student-Athletes in the United States

by Katherine McLean

Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(12), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11120586 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1523

Abstract

Concern around nonmedical opioid use (NUPO) among student-athletes in the United States abounds, yet research around NUPO in this population is mixed. While some studies have identified athletic participation and related injury as risk factors for NUPO, the balance of research has found the inverse, or no association. This study represents the first qualitative inquiry into college student-athletes’ history of injury, medical and nonmedical opioid exposure, and pain management practices. Drawing on surveys (n = 280) and interviews (n = 30) with less-elite (i.e., non-NCAA Division I) athletes attending a large state university, our analyses documented little NUPO in this population, despite significant rates of injury and opioid prescription. Interview participants evinced little knowledge, but high fears, around opioid use, while describing potentially harmful levels of over-the-counter drug use. Overall, this study suggests the need for the development of broad, evidence-based curricula concerning pharmacological pain management within this population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

24 pages, 4150 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Bodies: Vulnerable Inclusiveness within Gyms and Fitness Venues in Sweden

by Greta Helen Bladh

Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(10), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100455 - 04 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2488

Abstract

Today, gyms and fitness venues set out, on a superficial level at least, to cater to the individual, no matter what their gender and are therefore often seen as inclusive spaces for physical activity and its concomitant health benefits. However, previous research has shown that gyms as such, as well as certain areas within gyms, are perceived as specifically masculine spaces, often referring to a contextually contingent hegemonic masculinity, thereby deterring those who do not align with this image, especially women, but also certain men. Even when these dividing lines are crossed, a gendered movement schema remains, because there are different social expectations of what, how, and where men and women should exercise. As we will see in this paper, these movement schemas are produced and reproduced through discursive spatial linkages within the gym and fitness culture. In addition to investigating in what ways gendered norms are implicated within the very architecture of gyms in general, one gym, in particular, is used as an example since it is written into its statutes that it should work in a norm-critical way, providing a case study that shows an attempt to disrupt this inhibiting gendered spatial discourse and, thereby, possibly creating a more inclusive gym space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

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18 pages, 592 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Role of Source Evaluation in Athlete Advocacy: How Can Advocate Athletes Inspire Public Involvement in Racial Issues?

by Waku Ogiso, Hiroaki Funahashi and Yoshiyuki Mano

Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(8), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080372 - 18 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2380

Abstract

Athlete advocacy is recognized as an important method of persuading the public on social issues, and it demonstrates the role of athletes in achieving racial justice. However, how athlete advocacy can gain the persuasiveness to encourage public involvement remains unclear. This study investigates how the evaluation of an advocate athlete functions to encourage public issue involvement, focusing on Naomi Osaka’s racial advocacy. In particular, driven by balance theory and attribution theory, this study examines the effects of five sociopsychological factors on public involvement in racial issues: perceived credibility, hypocrisy, cause fit, effort expended, and role model status of advocate athletes. Data were collected from a cross-sectional online survey of 855 Japanese adults who were aware of Osaka’s advocacy. The findings highlight that public involvement in racial issues is significantly associated with the evaluations of the athlete’s credibility and hypocrisy. These evaluations are further influenced by perceptions of the athlete’s cause fit and role model status. This study enriches the literature on the management of sports for social change by demonstrating the importance of source evaluation in athlete advocacy in achieving advocacy outcomes. Our evidence implies that athletes looking to promote racial justice issues should effectively be seen as credible, knowledgeable, and non-hypocritical in their issue advocacy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

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17 pages, 316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sovereign Surfing in the Society of Control: The Parkour Chase in Casino Royale as a Staging of Social Change

by Kalle Jonasson and Jonnie Eriksson

Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(8), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080357 - 10 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2050

Abstract

In “Postscript on Societies of Control”, French philosopher Gilles Deleuze proclaimed that “Everywhere surfing has replaced the older sports”. By this, he alluded to Foucault’s thoughts on older societal regimes and power diagrams of sovereignty and discipline, and that now such models have been supplemented with governance through control and allegations of increased freedom. This article has as its point of departure the potential of sports to reflect social change. Contemporaneously to the coining of Deleuze’s surfing sentence, a new sport emerges: parkour, in which practitioners “surf” the urban realm. This practice gained attention globally when it was featured in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. The analysis in this article revolves around the different ways of moving in and through the environment in the renowned parkour chase in the beginning of the movie. How do different kinds of displacement in the parkour chase of Casino Royale relate to the transition between the societies described by Deleuze, and what new adaptations emerge and what old logics and models return? It is concluded that the older forms of power prevail and that the ideal of the society of control cannot be realised. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Sport and Social Issues)

12 pages, 267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

STIHL Timbersports^® and the Reconceptualization of Modern Sport in the Light of Decontextualization and Eventification of Forestry Work

by Bo Carlsson, Isak Lidström and Leif Yttergren

Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(3), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11030115 - 09 Mar 2022

Viewed by 2926

Abstract

This article examines STIHL Timbersports^® and its amalgamation of craftmanship, competition, eventification and branding, through the lens of decontextualization of sport. It thus revisits and revitalizes the concept of sportification, as well as discusses the characteristics of sport such as authenticity and “uncertainty of outcome”. The aim of the article is to grasp the different processes that challenge our common positions regarding sport, which may in turn progress sport beyond the prevalent conceptualization of modern sport. Full article

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