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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) What do we know about sport? What are common assumptions we make about sport and society?
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Exercise 3: Notebook prompt
What are some other metanarratives about sport that you are familiar with? Find an image or video clip or draw something yourself that captures this idea…
So what? Why does any of this matter? Does it matter? As something we grow up with – live with – play through – we don’t often interrogate the meanings of sport, and perhaps we don’t want to.
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….. [finish that thought]
| 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 building character through the obstacles we face in sports. Not only does it build character through values such as collaboration, punctuality, kindness, or patience, but also through our persistence.
An example I found was Derek Redmond from the 192 Olympics. During his race, he tore his hamstring and even through the pain and hardship, he made his way to the finish line. This was a memorable moment in the Olympics, and despite Redmond’s determination to reach his goal, he still persisted and finished with his father along side.
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B) What is social justice?
Exercise 4: Padlet Prompt
Think back to the last section and try to look at some of the ideas we discussed differently. How might sport and social justice actually co-exist?
Record any images, video clips, or gifs you added to the padlet and identify a point of intersection between sport and social justice (can be an issue or a barrier or a debate or something you would like to explore in more depth in this course) . Screenshot or paste in your response below.
| The gender pay gap in sports is visible in several different leagues, where female athletes have earned less than male, specifcally in the NBA versus MNBA. Throughout time, female basketball players have long fought for equal pay and changed working conditions and years later, the WNBA finally negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement in 2020, following years of lobbying, which included greater perks, including maternity leave and better travel, as well as a higher salary and incentives. Although this historic deal was a significant step in resolving the gender pay gap, more work is required to guarantee equal opportunities, media attention, and sponsorships for female athletes. |
C) Social Justice Reading
(note: this activity is optional!)
D) KINESIOLOGY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Exercise 5:
Exercise 6:
What are the implications of bodies-at-risk discourse and the refusal to understand the health gap from a social justice perspective, according to the authors of this article?
| Page 6 of the article discusses the implications of ‘bodies-at-risk’ and the unfair labels “problems” and “economic burden.”. This sort of thinking ignores the true causes of health disparities, such as structural and historical impediments, and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.
This sort of thinking ignores the true causes of health disparities, such as structural and historical impediments, and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. According to the authors, this viewpoint, which is shaped by neoliberal ideas, produces a prevailing narrative that disregards the opinions of persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities in favour of seeing whiteness as the norm. Furthermore, individuals are prevented from challenging the underlying reasons, such as racism and economic injustice, when health inequalities are not viewed as a social justice problem. Inequitable structures are maintained when health is viewed as an individual obligation rather than a collective one, deflecting attention from the need for more extensive systemic reform. To properly address health disparities, the authors contend that an intersectional strategy is required, one that takes into account the connections between various types of oppression. |
Section Two: Sport Feminism
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
What is feminism? What does it mean to you? Choose one of the images below and explain how it captures your understanding of feminism (or find one that does speak to you and paste this into your pressbook with an explanation of why it matters to you.
| The basic definition of feminism is “the belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests” (Webster, 2025). Overall, it is the right for advocacy for gender equality and to be able to freely protest, bring awareness, and fight for gender equality.
I chose to write about the “We Can Do It!” poster. Although everyone may have different interpretations of this poster, as well as the fact that it may have had a completely different meaning originally, I see that poster as a display of strength and empowerment. After researching the history behind the poster, I found out that it was created in 1943 during WWII to help create more buzz for jobs for women during that time. When I look at that poster, I see the woman having her hair up and ready, her flexing her bicep to show strength and her face, which shows determination. Throughout history, the woman’s job has been to stay home and take care of gender-typical ‘wifely’ duties, never to help out in spaces that were male-dominated. This poster represents the true strength that women have and it was a great moment in history that, I believe, has led to helping break stereotypes and create more equality. |
Exercise 8: Notes Prompt (optional)
NB: Cornell notes is a great resource that teaches effective notetaking. Unfortunately, our system can’t save notes taken in the H5P app, so this is fully optional.
Exercise 9: Crossword Activity
Exercise 10: Padlet Prompt
| Intersectionaility Stereotypes Power Feminism Empowerment Patriarchy Domination |
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In my opinion, the increased interest in women’s sports has shown a much more significant change than in the past. There has been a great shift to media coverage, such as on the news, on television, and on social media platforms like Tik Tok, which has helped gain more coverage for women’s leagues. It has helped with bigger sponsorship agreements and has demonstrated that women’s sports can draw a lot of interest and funding when given the chance to shine. There are still issues, though, since previous spikes in interest have occasionally subsided as a result of uneven funding and media coverage. Organizations, sponsors, and media must remain committed if long-term change is to be achieved. Women’s sports are important to the public, but sustained funding and equitable opportunity are necessary to ensure long-term success. |
