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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?
Completed on Blackboard
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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]
“If you’re not first, you’re last” sets a high expectation for athletes. As in sports, success is measured by those who come first. This makes us perceive sports, athletes, and competitors as not good enough if they don’t win or come in first place and if they do come second, they are viewed as losers. This places immense feelings of pressure and belief that if you’re not first, you’re last, which in reality is not valid, but these assumptions have been installed in us at a young age to make us believe this is the case. For example, let’s look at gymnast Simone Biles. She holds the most world gold metals and U.S. titles in history. Still, the pressures society has put on her to always come in first place because she has set such high expectations can discredit her mental prosperity and the challenges she has overcome to be where she is. For example, she had to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics because she was experiencing the “twisties.” However, she was still expected to win and was viewed by society as a quitter for withdrawing. This matters because it sheds light on society’s high expectations of athletes, and the narratives surrounding first place are not authentic; it hinders their past achievements, current abilities and hard work. It matters because these pressures can have a significant effect on someone and can take the fun, love and passion for the sport away; if you come in second place and third place, it can tear an athlete down because they might not feel like a winner that has been ingrained in us as children making is believe that sports are only centred around winning and being the best defines success. It matters because it allows us to understand how these pressures shape athletes, and we should emphasize their skills more than the outcome.
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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.
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C) Social Justice Reading
Completed on Blackboard
(note: this activity is optional!)
D) KINESIOLOGY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Exercise 5:
Completed on Blackboard
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?
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According to the author, the bodies at risk discourse is framed by a deficit thinking that continues to hold marginalized communities at a disadvantage and who face ongoing health disparities, which perpetuates inequality and oppression. This creates barriers to health equity and hinders the ability of those who come from marginalized communities to access adequate health care disparities. Refusing to understand the health gap from a social justice perspective, as stated in the article, argues for people to view these disparities as a more significant socioeconomic issue that creates these health gaps through deficit thinking and the politics of privilege that drive these inequalities. Refusing to understand the health gap from a social justice perspective only fails to acknowledge the deep-rooted issues as to why marginalized communities face health disparities that are deeply rooted in poverty and discrimination, leaving them at a constant disadvantage in accessing adequate health and fitness capabilities. When we fail to use a social justice perspective, we target those who are most vulnerable and solely blame them for their individual failures, making themselves the problem who fail to meet the health norms and standards of their white privileged counterparts.
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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.
This picture captures my understanding of feminism because it represents that, as women, we can do it too; feminism is about owning the power of being a woman; this picture shows that women can do it all and can accomplish all things and break the barriers of gender inequality. This matters to me because this picture is the most significant representation of how women are just as capable as men in holding dominance and authority and being the breadwinners. This picture is about showing the strength and confidence to fight to dismantle discrimination against women and gender norms. It is about showing that women are just as strong and self-reliant and offer more than just the housewife stereotype and caretakers who have proven to accomplish all things and more. It is the power of feminism.
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Exercise 8: Notes Prompt (optional)
Completed on Blackboard
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
Completed on Blackboard
Exercise 10: Padlet Prompt
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In my opinion, it is a mix of both. It is changing owing to women being more accepted into the world of sports, allowing for a more inclusive recognition and the interest in having women being seen as respected athletes. I do not think the change is just temporary. Still, it has become trendy, which has created a lot of attention, and also because women like to empower other women, especially in a male-dominated professional field. Therefore, I believe this has sparked significant interest, making a lot of people show genuine excitement for women’s sports, much like the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) and the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) starting soon, it has gained a lot of attention and conversation around it is creating positive interest and allows for further growth and opportunity in women’s sport but as times goes on we will be able to identify if this interest is just a passing trend or permanent interest.
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