6
Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Provide a brief definition of one of the padlet keywords for this week.
| third age: this is a point in time in which a person is withdrawn from their working lives and are leading a more active lifestyle for their wellbeing and development according to pike (2011).
|
B) The Social Significance of Aging in Sport
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
How is old age popularly represented today? Find an image online that you think exemplifies one defining attitude towards old age and paste in your notebook below with a brief explanation of what this image means to you.
| I feel that old age is more seen as something people try to avoid or delay. I think many people believe that the older one gets the less ability they have to do physical activity. I think it is perceived this was by society even though this should not be the case. I think many people do underestimate the ability of people who are older and tend to think they are fragile and cannot participate in vigorous sport (Pike, 2011).
This image shows the stereotypical acceptable activity for older people as they are seen as not being as able as they may have been in their youth. This type of thinking closes off the possibilities for what age and sport can be. |
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
What does the article (referencing another study by Dionigi) mean by its statement that sport can help aging people to simultaneously “accept and resist the ageing process” (572)? Respond by audio or text and find paste two images sourced online into your notebook showing how sport might help aging people to both accept and resist the aging process.
| I think this refers to the idea that being active can help the body stay active and healthy, making it seem more like how it was when the body was younger. Therefore resisting the aging process of being ‘weak’ and ‘fragile’. However participating in activity is also part of the third age meaning it could also be seen as a way of accepting the aging process. |
Exercise 4: Notebook Prompt
Who are the groups less likely to have extensive opportunities to take part in sports, according to Pike? How does privilege factor into aging and sport? (200 words max)
| Pike refers to women being the group that is less likely to have opportunities in sport as aging occurs. This is because of the perceived role many women are seen as having. They tend to be seen as mothers, caregivers and grandparents who must tend to the needs of others without tending to their physical need like participating in physical activity.
|
Exercise 5: Padlet Discussion
Why do you think age discrimination is “reported more than any form of prejudice” with older people presented as a threat to social values and interests? Feel welcome to use video in your responses. Paste your comments (or transcript of your video) below!
| I think this may be true to an extent. Pike discussed about the discrimination older people face based on their age and regarding physical activity. I can see that maybe the way aging is perceived in the sporting world could impact social values. Especially the way men are perceived versus women in professional sports. Women are held at such high societal standards, having to look a certain way to participate in sports like dance, gymnastics and figure skating. While also being looked at as weak as they age when looking at more ‘rough sports like rugby and hockey.
|
B) Older Women and Sport
Exercise 6: Notebook Prompt
What differences do you see in these ads? Which one is more inclusive? How is age represented or not represented in each? Answer these questions in your notebook.
| I do not think age is represented very well in the first ad. I see a majority of young, fit female athletes in the first ad which is excluding a lot of other women. I think the second ad is more inclusive for women as it shows different body types that should be more normalized in the sporting world. Age is represented better in the second ad however I did not see anyone who pasted as an elderly women but the age ranged seemed better then the first ad.
|
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
In her article, “Assessing the sociology of sport: On age and ability,” Elizabeth Pike references a “trend towards a ‘feminisation of ageing’, with many women living longer than men” (573). Do you agree that aging has been “feminized” in this way? How? Answer these questions in your notebook.
| I think it is a fact that women are living longer than men. so i do agree with this statement. However it was mentioned that women have higher rates of dissatisfaction with life, higher rates of depression and lowkey well-being. Could this have anything to do with that fact they older women are at a lower chance of participating in sport. As sport has healing abilities, it can greatly increase mood and help with delf-esteem. If women felt they were welcomed in sporting spaces would their life satisfaction go up? I think these are great questions that should be answered. Being able to have older women feel welcomed and accepted by society when it comes to sport is important.
|
Section Three: Module Mini Assignment
| I understand the problem to be that there is an outdoor park with a baseball diamond and a skate portion of the park too. The rest of the area is just open grass for free use. Peterbourgh is planning to pave over this area in order to create tennis and pickleball courts and a parking location. I think the problem here is that this project would be destroying natural park land in order to accommodate for a more ‘modern’ sense of a park.
2 other sources Bonnerworth Park Redevelopment | Connect Peterborough Neighbours disagree with supporters on park development plan I feel that age is not being considered here. However it is older age which I feel is not being considered. In the original article there was no mention of any positive of what could come out of this project for older age adults. I think the focus here is on the children. If you pave this park area it will not be a place children will want to access. And yes I do see this side of the issue. However the article explain that there is another park area in close proximity to this one. I think there are not enough spaces for adults to use. Parks are seen as something for children to use. I think this pickleball area project could be great for the older population of the city. It seems that anyone can access it and use it during the day. This would be a great low pressure setting for physical activity. You can go on your own terms when you would like. Pike speaks about the surveillance of older people “Such agendas contribute to the monitoring, surveillance and even control of older people.” (Pike, 2011). In this case, having an area in which you do not need to pay to use or have it in a facilicate that is being monitored by staff, this could help get more people active as there is no limiting factor here. For example, someone may be more inclined to participate in a physical activity where there is little monitoring as they may be trying out something new and will feel vulnerable doing so. Not having that barrier could encourage people to try to be more active as there would be less monitoring meaning less eyes on them. Espically for older people just getting into a new activity. It may be hard to join or participate because of the fear that they are being watched and secretly judged for what they are doing. Having on open, free space could help eliminate these factors for many.
|
