Socialization of Males Through Sports
With socialization, learning, not instinct is responsible for the development of values, identities, and roles in relationship to society. Michael Messner views identity as a "process of construction." One way that gender identity for males is generated is through sports.
Messner did a study on a diverse group of retired athletes. Through this study, Messner observed how males identified their boyhood through sports. Four broad areas of the lives of the thirty diverse athletes were addressed. The first item of concern was the athletes' earliest experiences with sports in boyhood. Second were the athletic careers of the athletes. Third, was the conclusion and withdraw from their athletic careers. Fourth was their life after their athletic career had been concluded. Messner also compared the athletes that came from a poor background, to those that had come from a higher status background.
All of these athletes had been brought into sports when they were young. Being involved in sports as a young boy seemed to be the natural and normal thing to do. Some of the interviewed athletes responded that there was something wrong with a young boy who was not involved with sports, and that it was a "natural" thing and really the only thing to do. Being that society for these athletes offered no rites of passage into manhood, sports became the way to prove one's manhood.
Family influences played a major role in the motivation of these athletes. Competition or emulation of family members was often the reason one tried so hard to excel in the athletic world. These competitive atmospheres often created a lot of pressure. Often, receiving the respect of one's father and making him proud was also an important factor in pushing athletes to success. Some of the athletes were afraid of failure, and fought harder to get the praise of his family. Their father also introduced many of these athletes to sports. The father image in a boys mind was that of an invincible, powerful man that they could never even come close to. Obtaining respect from someone who is held in such high esteem is very inspiring. This connection with the father was the main push for much of the athletic achievement.
The early commitment to sports that these men had as boys assisted in the development of their masculine identity.
Most student-athletes grow up as very innocent lads bedecked with tremendous talents and become very promising in sports. Thus, they become rays of hope for their families, neighborhoods, and schools yet to be determined. Like the lamb in William Blake’s poem The Lamb, they are fed “by the stream & o’er the mead; gave…clothing of delight, softest clothing, wooly, bright…making all the vales rejoice.” (Smith 24) Then they are exposed to the life of hard work in which only the fittest survives. This makes them ready for the different challenges in the sports scene.
The presence of activity and sport is found within cultures and societies all over the world, and throughout history. Activity in the form of sport can often be the purest form of expression for a society or individual. The sporting world is often thought to be a microcosm of the actual world with the problems and issues of society still being ever present in the sporting community. Since sport can be used as an expression of self, it is no wonder that sport is often a reflection of the society that it occupies. One such society that was deeply impacted by the role of sport is that of Native American boarding school students in the 1800’s and 1900’s. These students lived tough lives but just like how it had helped other cultural societies, sport was able to provide these students with basic needs of autonomy and pride.
Society has always had the idea that males should participate in masculine activities and females in feminine activities. These activities define the lifestyle that person would have. It was also believed that if a male was not involved in masculine activities, that male was not a man. Sports is a field that has been dominated by males in the past years, and more recently has had a lot of females take part in it. But does playing a sport define one’s masculinity? Michael Messner, the author of Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities, discusses the effect sports has on upcoming young men of different races. The effect of being introduced to a sport at a young age allowed males of different races to gain a sense of masculinity,
Sports play a large part of an athletic student’s life, weighing heavily on one’s identity. In his essay, “Cut”, Bob Greene relays how he and several others are cut from their middle school sports team because “[they weren’t] good enough” (Greene 58). Because of this cut, Greene and his peers end up pushing harder than ever in other areas of their life. He notes, “an inordinately large proportion of successful men share… the memory
Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models.” This shows that sports are in fact helpful because they can grow children into being important role models for the rest of society. Studies have shown time and time again that playing sports can be beneficial to children and we also believe this to be true. Many people still think that sports cause “too many injuries”, or coaches “are not fair enough”, but adolescents will experience these things all throughout their lives because injury can happen anywhere and they will not always be the best at what they are doing. Sports are beneficial to the youth because they can teach children and teens important life skills, help them maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, all while improving their mental health.
Gatz, Margaret, Michael A. Messner, and Sandra Rokeach. Paradoxes of youth and sport. Albany: State University of New York, 2002.. 12-13.
The influence of sports activities on boys’ identity and socialization experience remains a major interest in gender studies today. Michael A. Messner wrote an article called Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities. The article examines the way sports focus and define what it is to be a masculine, studies variation in sports’ influences across social classes, and depicts lessons sports participation impacts for relationships beyond sports. Each area Michael A. Messner examined directly relates to three key concepts of psychology theories. The concepts consist of observational learning (social learning), conformity, and social identity. The research methods in the article are also a major factor contributing to the
The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t teach them reality and educate them to undertake more realistic goals for careers.
Hegemonic masculinity surfaced as a critique for sex role theory, stating that masculinity may vary depending on ones socialization. This idea became more evident once women entered the workforce, as men felt emasculated after what was once solely a male-based aspect of daily life, was now open to women. As the world continues to develop so do gender roles. A major aspect of sports is the clearly defined gender order, which governs the behaviours of both men and women as a means of preserving patriarch and heterosexuality. This order is instilled in boys from a young age in the hopes that they follow these strict societal norms expected from them. To help preserve this thinking, institutions continuously attempt to better male athletes by focusing their attention on the male population as oppose to splitting this attention on both male and female
As Miller and Wilson revealed, athleticism is not always analogous with success. Willy regarded Biff highly because he observed Biff’s presence and athleticism, and he believed these qualities would result in immediate success. Today many parents associate sports with success and therefore pressure their children to excel in sports. In today’s society it is very rare that fears of discrimination would cause children to not pursue a lucrative career in sports. Both Miller and Wilson knew the impact of sports on family dynamics, and how sports have evolved from a leisure time activity to a full-time commitment. Clearly, many of the qualitative aspects of sports--competition, teamwork and physical dexterity can contribute to being a success in almost any career.
The objective of this study is to identify and define various roles of minorities in sports and to also explain how powerful their positions are. It is important for our youth of minorities with dreams and aspirations of becoming sportsmen, as well as those who already are, to become aware of the position of power they have. It is also necessary that individuals from all walks of life understand the position of power minorities have in sports as well. Minorities, sometimes, do not understand the power of their position when playing sports. The power of minorities’ positions in sports can change and/or differ based on many variables.
Also, athletes are looked up to by kids and may play a part in a kid wanting to do to better in life.
A parent putting his/her child in sports gives the child something to do and keeps them fit. Parents also put their child in a sport hoping that he/she will get success out of it “Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program” (Stenson). While not all parents are pushing for future Olympians, the fight for a sports college scholarship is competitive and parents may feel that their child will have a better chance of gaining one if he/she starts competitive sports early. Parents push their children to succeed, and children—not wanting to disappoint their parents—push themselves, sometimes harder than they should. If done right, pushing a child into sports can have a positive effect on the child’s interaction with other children while teaching them commitment and healthy competition.
The studies summarize the different ways sports industry and athletes are influenced by socialization. Out of the many studies, I chose to read the study that describes the three factors that are related to sport participation. The first factor is a person’s ability, characteristics and resources that a person acquires. The second factor is the influence of other people, such as parents, siblings, friends, significant other, teachers and role models. The last factor is related to the availability of opportunities a person has to play sports in a way that can be personally satisfying.
White college men perceived athletics as a way to show their superiority and justify their presence in business as well as politics. They believed athletic sports were essential in their "vision of white manhood" (Grundy, 29).... ... middle of paper ... ...which encouraged participants to develop both verbal eloquence and cool self-control" (Grundy, 169). In addition, because African Americans face greater restrictions and job competition compared to Whites, scholarships were very much valued and high school coaches worked to help African American athletes gain these scholarships.