The image I selected represents the metanarritive of someone who underwent a tragedy put continues on and perservers through. Many para athletes who underwent a traumatic event are prime examples of this. (Image citation:

The Performance Room. (2019). From disaster to triumph – what does it take to be brilliantly resilient? https://www.theperformanceroom.co.uk/disaster-triumph-take-brilliantly-resilient/

But being aware of these assumptions and metanarratives is especially important, I would argue, because of the centrality of sport to our everyday lives, the role that sport plays in shaping our childhood and worldviews and our identities and how we internalize social norms. These metanarratives surrounding sport, including unity, national pride, and pursuit of excellence, are all positive. I believe it is important to reflect back on these narritives when watching sports or seeing something negative about athletes in the media. Although the metanarratives individually seem positive, there are negative outcomes that can come from trying to follow them. For example, to pursue excellence and perfection, many Olympic athletes have been caught doping, which ruins the talent and honesty aspect of the sport. I would also argue that as a society, our standards and social norms are reflected within sport, so when we live in an individualistic society that focuses on self-gain, and doing anything (cheat, lie) to make the most money or work up in a job etc, we see these trends leak into the sport world. The same situation can be applied, say, to hockey. The “hockey culture” follows all of the metanarritives listed in the learning module, however, cocky attitudes and entitlement seem to breed within hockey, as seen by sexual assault cases outside the rink and dirty fights on the ice. Therefore, I think we need to be aware of the metanarritives and how they can be warped and made more negative due to the social norms set by society.

Community Engagement:

Sports and social justice coexist and promote inclusivity, equity, and accessibility, especially in terms of community engagement. Programs that are drop-in and require minimal equipment follow John Lewis’s definition of social justice as they are meant to be fair and equal. For example, if a pick-up basketball league runs multiple times a week and is publicly founded, it would allow community members to participate even if they may not have the funds, equipment or even self-confidence. These leagues allow people to connect to members of the community and build relationships while improving their mental and physical health. Creating equal and equitable opportunities for community members of all types of races, genders, and socio-economic statuses to participate will create stronger ties to the community. Some may even feel empowered and wish to give back to the community; this could include volunteering for a sports organization or helping their neighbours. The articles address how marginalized groups often experience discrimination and systemic barriers that prevent them from accessing sports facilities (Harrison et al., 2021; Scranton & Flintoff, 2013). By creating inclusive community programs, we can begin to change the “at-risk” narrative, resulting in a healthier and happier community (Harrison et al., 2021).

Another example would include a casual pickleball league in which seniors are encouraged to participate. This situation would allow for older adults, who typically are not the target population of the sports world, to get active and socialize with members of their community.

Peer responses:

I particularly liked the responses for access and opportunity. One example about the affordability of skating and skiing was well done, and I totally agree. Sports such as skiing are very expensive both for the equipment and for the ski passes. I believe it is important to remember this when someone mentions that they do not know how to skate or ski because it may be a result of finances. I like that they mentioned that we could see a decrease in seasonal depression if winter sports were more accessible.

References

Scraton, S. and Flintoff, A. (2013). Gender, Feminist Theory, and Sport. In A Companion to Sport (eds D.L. Andrews and B. Carrington). https://doi-org.proxy1.lib.trentu.ca/10.1002/9781118325261.ch5

These systematic inequalities, such as privilege, discrimination and socio-economic differences, lead to different health outcomes. The implications of not looking at the health gap from a social justice perspective mean that the voices of marginalized people will be ignored, further widening the health gap. Our current health system must take into account individual’s lived experience that impacts their health, not simply view them as a problem. Our society needs to move away from neo-liberal views and move toward a society that takes into account everyone’s voice to reduce illness rates and marginalization.

Reference

Harrison, L., Azzarito, L., & Hodge, S. (2021). Social Justice in Kinesiology, Health, and Disability. Quest (National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education), 73(3), 225–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2021.1944231

Feminism is a belief in equality for both sexes, including economic, social and political (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2024). According to Scranton and Flintoff (2013), there are many different types of feminism, including liberal, radical, Marxist and Black feminism. Each with a different lens, for example Marxist feminism focuses more exclusively on economic factors as a source of inequality (Scranton & Flintoff, 2013). To me, feminism means that females have equal rights to their male counterparts, including equal pay, equal health access, and equal societal expectations. The traditional feminist role has been set in societal norms for so long that it takes many years to start to see changes. For example, the traditional mother staying home to raise the children can drastically impact the mother’s career goals and earning potential. This forces men to become the primary financial providers, and this can lead some women to lack freedom. However, there is no reason that fathers cannot stay home once the child is past the infant stage, allowing the mother to regain some work experience.

The photo I chose appears to be of women protesting for their rights, perhaps in the late 1800s or early 1900s. This image spoke to me because our current equality started with women like the ones depicted. It seems crazy to me that women were protesting so long ago for their right to vote, and to this day, women need to protest to protect their reproductive rights. It seems to me like feminism has come such a long way and that, theoretically, there should be more equality than ever before. However, the United States pulled femininity into question when they reversed Roe. This photo symbolizes the work and advocacy that women have needed to show to gain equality, and that battle is clearly still not over.

Reference

Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. (2024). Feminism. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism

Scraton, S. and Flintoff, A. (2013). Gender, Feminist Theory, and Sport. In A Companion to Sport (eds D.L. Andrews and B. Carrington). https://doi-org.proxy1.lib.trentu.ca/10.1002/9781118325261.ch5