SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS3.3 The Event

WHAT HAS AFFECTED YOU MOST?

Biophysical Sociocultural Refers to the way

scientific knowledge can be applied in an attempt to improve performance in physical activity. Functional anatomy Biomechanics Skill learning theory Sports psychology

Other factors which may influence performance and performance improvement. These may include:

Gender Commodification Technocentricity Body as a machine Healthism Scientism Body as a project

SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS

GENDER -Masculinity -Femininity

-Stereotypes-Social construction

• Many factors influence us to participate in sport (Family, friends, gender etc.).

• It is fairly common to see boys playing rugby at school and girls playing netball. This is largely due to the gender and stereotypes we as a society have developed.

• Does swimming conform to gender stereotyping?

• Are sports continuing to be gender specific?

• Who influences us to think that some sports should be males/female only?

ACTIVITY Challenge the following statements. Write your responses in your books.

1. When men play sport they are seen as being ‘Gay’ if they choose to wear/use pink coloured clothing/equipment.

2. Women in the 2012 Olympics are being hailed as the role models we need “in the age of the Kardashian”. Great Britain's women won 22 of the total 65 medals, 10 of them gold.

- Challenge assumptions

- Who benefits/who does not?

Commodification

How sport is represented

Athletes seen as being marketable

Sponsorship at major sporting events

Marketing sport Athletes’ bodies

- When products, people, sports are turned into commodities

- Corporate sponsors expect huge levels of commitment from participating athletes.

- Star athletes compete on sponsored circuits.

- Athletes are lured with prize money. Injuries may be ignored, educational opportunities are put aside in the quest for success and banned substances are employed to enhance performance.

- These individuals no longer represent their club, their country or themselves, they represent the corporations who provide the money for their sport.

ACTIVITY

Critically discuss how this video portrays the All Blacks.

Who is being impacted? What is the impact on New Zealand society?

TECHNOCENTRICITY, HEALTHISM & THE BODY AS A PROJECT

These 3 factors are very similar but here are the main differences.

Technocentricity

Healthism The Body

as a Project

Body is measured and analysed by sports professionals (e.g. coaches) with an end point of improving human performance.

A set of assumptions, based on the belief that health is solely an individual responsibility.

View of the body where it is seen as an object to be manipulated, modelled and sculpted into a mostly unobtainable societal perfection.

Body seen as an entity that is in the process of becoming a project.

TECHNOCENTRICITY

- Scientific approaches to enhance performance in sport. - It treats the body as a machine, which is measured, analysed with

an end point of improving human performance. - ‘We can change our bodies for the better’- mentality. - View of the body suits athletes who want to improve their

performance in sport (elite performance)- Does not account for athletes who participate in sport to make

friends, build communities, movement for fun. - The scientific view of the body often tends to ignore the idea that

people have other dimensions to their identity other than the physical – that is the emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social.

Body Profession’s e.g. Coaches, PE teachers, Sports

Scientists.

Body is a machine Improvement of

human performance

Bodies as objects or products that can be reshaped

WHAT IS ‘THE PERFECT BODY’?

Exercise is presented as the only useful and valid knowledge about bodies and the performance of bodies. It is used to

maximise efficiency and performance for athletes.

So what makes up “The Perfect Body???

Think of as many examples as you can…

HEALTHISM

- A set of assumptions, based on the belief that health is solely an individuals responsibility. Concept that body is a machine that must be maintained and ‘kept in

tune’ like a car. Ignores all the SPEECH (societal, political, environmental, economic,

ethical, cultural and historical influences on individuals health. Some individuals feel superior to those who ‘choose’ to be unhealthy. Those who fail to take responsibility for their health are undeserving of

‘healthy individuals’ sympathy or assistance (financial). Fitness industry promotes healthism and promotes the view that

looking after our bodies are our responsibility. Does not take into account people that work around dangerous

chemicals, polluted city environments and damp housing due to financial difficulties.

Responsible for own Health

Diet and Exercise

Prevention of diseases.

Illness treated with medicine

Activity

How is swmming impacted and to what extent?

Who is influential?

Who benefits and who does not?

How could New Zealand Society be impacted?

THE BODY AS A PROJECT

- A view of the body where it is seen as an object to be manipulated, modelled and sculpted into a mostly unobtainable societal perfection. Individuals identities shaped by the way they look Body is turned into a project which must be worked at….its

shape, size, appearance and contents are able to be physically shaped to unattainable perfection.

Bodies become societal symbols

Body is able to be manipulated, moulded and sculpted

Societal perfection

Bodies become a ‘project’

ACTIVITYWatch the following video:

As a class discuss the impacts involved with sculpting your body to perfection.

Discuss other impacts that can happen as a result of neglecting your body.

SCIENTISM

- A philosophy which believes that the only authentic and valuable knowledge useful to the world is knowledge that comes from affirmation of theories through strict scientific method.

- People who believe this about knowledge chose to ignore knowledge which is derived from other sources such as intuition, religion, attitudes and beliefs, the nature of relationships etc.

- Those who “buy into” scientism ignore the social, political, environmental ethical, economic, cultural and historical (SPEEECH) influences on individual‘s hauora and lives.

Using science to acquire knowledge

Science = Only way of establishing meaning/understanding

TaskGo back through your session plans and evaluations and make notes on when and how you were affected by any of the socio-cultural factors discussed.