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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Briefly (in 100 words or less) define one of the keywords in the padlet (including one that you. may have added yourself).
| Critical race theory is a framework that examines how race interacts with legal systems and institutions (Hylton, 2010). The theory aims to challenge racism and the inequalities that have been developed by numerous societies. It views racism as not just an individual prejudice, but prejudice that is embedded in legal, economic and social systems. This notion comes from the basis that social institutions have been designed and implemented for white people. It predominantly associates these concepts with the US because of the structure of its society. Therefore, it functions to promote social justice for minorities in America through the centralization of marginalized voices.
Hylton, K. (2010). How a turn to critical race theory can contribute to our understanding of ‘race’, racism and anti-racism in sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 45(3), 335-354. DOI: 10.1177/1012690210371045
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B) Representing Race
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
In about 50-70 words, consider Joel Bervell’s question: why do we feel the need to extrapolate the athleticism of one Black athlete to all Black people when we do not do the same for white athletes?
Try to think of examples when this happens, making sure to reflect on your own positionality.
| In our current society, we do this because of media narratives. Media typically describes black athletes as “freaks of nature”, whereas white athletes get praise for sport IQ. This stems from historical stereotypes that black individuals were more physically dominant, having to do the hard work. This translates to current sport culture where Lamar Jackson is seen as an explosive athlete, which has become the expectation for all black quarterbacks.
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C) Gender, Race & Sport
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
What are some strategies for resistance that Rajack and Joseph identify in their article as a means of pushing back against and resisting misogynoir?
| An important strategy for resistance that was identified in the article was the use of personal identity (Razack & Joseph, 2021). Osaka resisted attempts to erase aspects of her heritage by embracing her Japanese and Haitian multicultural identity. The article mentions that Osaka “refuses to be seen as only Japanese”, this demonstrates her willingness to not become oversimplified by the media but rather to display her heritage (Razack & Joseph, 2021). This enabled Osaka to disrupt dominant racial frameworks by setting the standard toward the media and sporting community that she would embrace her full identity, instead of being dictated by the media. Furthermore, to demonstrate her strong representation of identity, she used both English and Japanese in her interviews, signalling her ability to shape her own narrative. The commitment to representing both of her cultures enabled her to show that she is more than just a “black” female athlete. Another valuable strategy that Osaka used was her ability to utilize her platform for advocacy and activism. Osaka actively speaks out on issues of social justice and racism. For example, she wore a mask with the names of black victims of police violence during the U.S. Open. Typically black women in sport are expected to stay silent and endure any criticism they receive, however, Osaka was able to challenge that narrative which has helped more athletes engage in social issues and push back on misogynoir. Ultimately, staying true to your identity and using your voice have been proven by Osaka to be valuable strategies for the pursuit of resisting misogynoir.
Razack, S., & Joseph, J. (2021). Misogynoir in women’s sport media: race, nation, and diaspora in the representation of Naomi Osaka. Media Culture & Society, 43(2), 291-308. DOI: 10.1177/0163443720960919
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Section Two: Making Connections
A) Athlete Activism
Exercise 3: Padlet Prompt
Do athletes have a responsibility to use their platform for social change? Why or why not? Please remember to record your response in both the padlet below and in your Notebook.
I do not believe that athletes have a responsibility to use their platform for social change. I think whether an athlete uses their platform or not should be solely based on their preferences. There shouldn’t be any pressure from the media or society to advocate for social change if the athlete does not want to, because then it becomes forced. The best outcomes occur when athletes naturally and organically use their platform to spread awareness and push for social change. If the message comes from their internal values then it holds more validity and is taken more seriously. Whereas, if an athlete felt obligated to use their platform but didn’t truly feel comfortable speaking out or was concerned about the potential response, then the intent behind their message becomes focused on pleasing others rather than influencing social change. Ultimately, it is clear that athletes can make an impact, but true change will be facilitated by the athletes who internally believe their message, so using their platform should be preference-based.
B) Athlete Activism & Feminism
Exercise 4: Complete the activities
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
What do the authors of the article call for as a way of challenging how mainstream sports journalism privileges neoliberal feminist concerns? (100 words max.)
| To challenge the mainstream sports journalism, the authors argue that media narratives need to move beyond individualist success stories (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020). Instead, they suggest how media should highlight broader social justice movements that athletes are a part of, rather than focusing on personal achievements. This can be achieved by telling stories differently to “disrupt the well-established boundaries of what is considered sports media” (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020). This means that non-traditional sports media outlets can become a part of the conversation about social justice and feminist movements.
Cooky, C., & Antunovic, D. (2020). “This Isn’t Just About Us”: Articulations of Feminism in Media Narratives of Athlete Activism. Sport Communication and Social Justice, 8(4-5), 692-711. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479519896360
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C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
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In Favour: In my opinion, sports leagues do have a responsibility to support social justice movements, especially big leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. The sporting business is a billion-dollar industry that garners a lot of attention every single day. This means that all these leagues have high levels of power and influence, and with power comes an important responsibility to contribute to societal well-being. For league conveners and team owners, the business of sport should not solely be focused on profits, but also social justice because sport has been shaping society for decades, and that pattern should certainly continue. As Ramsey Khabbaz explored in the article, sports leagues have extremely large platforms that will make vital differences toward movements like BLM. Therefore, these leagues should be prioritizing the use of their platform for the betterment of society. Response: I completely agree with your opinion on the support of social justice movements. I think a key point that you identified here was the notion that leagues should use their platform to implement policies that promote equality. It is great if leagues provide support by giving their athletes a voice or writing important messages on jerseys. However, it seems like an important step to construct the leagues around equality and actually provide actions that others can replicate and build off of.
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Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
In the show All American the main character Spencer James is subject to racialization in numerous ways as he transfers from one high school to another, while also being the star football player. The show depicts the difference between being black in Beverly Hills and Crenshaw. For example, in the show’s first episode, the characters Spencer James and Jordan Baker are driving in Beverly Hills and are pulled over because their race makes the police officer suspicious of them. To speak out on the racialization that Spencer faces throughout the show, he consistently utilizes his social platform to talk about social injustice. This is primarily seen in season 3 episode 7 where Spencer attends a protest against police brutality, but he also uses his football platform to further address stereotypes about black athletes. Spencer often speaks about how black athletes are only respected for their physical abilities but rarely valued as individuals. This illustrates that in All American the athletes are using their voices for proper change, which connects well with the “Shut up and dribble!” article on Lebron James (Galily, 2019). The article mentions how “athletes have a platform that others do not”, and whether it is the best player in the world or a star high school football player, that platform will always be there (Galily, 2019). The ability of Spencer to recognize his platform and effectively utilize it is vital in redirecting the narrative that race has on an individual’s representation in society. Often it feels like society and media push the narrative that black athletes only possess valuable athletic qualities, rather than important personal qualities as well. This negatively shapes our understanding of sports because it takes away the personal human connection and makes everything about outcomes and money. However, as identified in the “Shut up and dribble!” article, Lebron James has been capable of challenging this narrative, by using his platform to direct change and enact more personalization (Galily, 2019). Lebron James has provided important conversation on this topic which enables shows like All American to further push the message and continue to connect with diverse audiences.
Galily, Y. (2019). “Shut up and dribble!”?Athletes activism in the age of twittersphere: The case of LeBron James. Technology in Society, 58(Complete). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.01.002
