The book Million Dollar Muscle by Adrian Tan, PhD and Doug Bignole gives a sociological perspective and look into the fitness Industry. The book discusses the impact of socioeconomic forces as well as consumerist values that drive the fitness industry. The book uses a series of sociological concepts to explain the workings of the industry. These include the theories of great minds such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel. Although, multiple ideas and concepts can be seen as having been drawn from each theory, it is evident that Marxism is the one that holds the most weight. Marxism stands out in Million Dollar Muscle due to the books emphasis on the capitalistic nature of society, the individual groupings of people into classes, and the fact that the fitness industry thrives due to the exploitation of groups of people through falsely advertised products.
Marxism is a sociological theory created by Karl Marx, one of the founding fathers of sociology. The theory of Marxism discuses how society is made up of social classes in which, one exploits the other for personal gain under the vise of capitalism. Under Marx idea of capitalism private business is at the head front. Additionally, Marx believed that Capitalism would give rise to socialism, a concept in which the government is at the top of the ownership tree. Marx saw capitalism as having particularly negative affects within society. The rise of the fitness industry on the basis of sporting events, competition, personal welfare and many other programs have led to an over all growth of the industry on an economic level. This can be seen via the high demand for sports teams, workout machines, and gyms. This growth and interest in the body has occurred not only on a domestic leve...
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...oup of people dictate the bodies that others should have through advertisement in order to produce profit. Overall the fitness industry supports Marx’s original idea of the negativity of the fitness industry and how in order to gain profit, they exploit. Companies and corporations go to the extremes in order to sell their products, which result to them lying to consumers. This part of capitalism is negative and because of the negativity and exploitation the government is beginning to get more involved. This can be seen through the regulations being placed by the FDA and the safety precautions by making some weight loss drugs illegal. Additionally, the government is developing a campaign against obesity and a wish to combat it through exercise. Marx was right in his idea that a capitalist society would eventually lead to a socialist one controlled by the government.
The gym is a place where a typical American college student goes to work out their bodies. Based on the fact that I personally could be considered a gym rat, a stereotypical name for someone who spends a lot of time in the work out area. This is partially by choice being on the swim team requires the strength training equipment that is available to our disposal in the gym. While I have been to the gym many times I haven’t really taken the time to take in the other people around me. Within this ethnographic exercise I will explore the college gym norms within Roger Williams University.
Instead of trying to persuade customers to buy what the LA Fitness has already produced, the marketing department has decided to produce a product for families not just individuals. The corporation has decided to do this through research. Consumer needs and wants became the firm's primary focus. This consumer-orientated marke...
Balko develops an angry tone about the fact that government believes unhealthy people should depend on healthy people or they should not hold any responsibility. Actually, Balko complains the way government prohibits any private insurer to charge additional fee of obese clients is unwise. Balko’s claim is that if people had to pay more financially, they would be more cautious about their choices on what foods should they consume. I agree with him on this point, because if insurers want to charge overweight clients with higher premiums, the clients would try to be fit in the average range to avoid paying any hard-earned money from their pocket. Balko evokes ethos appeals by demonstrating if the government is willingly paid for his anti-cholesterol medicine, then what the motivations for exercising are. He makes the audience sympathize with him by saying that what the government does is wrong. Toward the end, Balko implies that people will make better choices if there is no one responsible for those choices.
Taking all this into consideration the goal of my paper is not to discourage you from working out, but rather inform you in the realities of weight lifting. The media and society continues you to fill out heads will lies about weightlifting weather its gender stereotypes and just the belief that one can achieve the stereotypical perfect body. There should be a greater understanding of how the media incorrectly portray weight lifting, working out, the idea of the perfect body and how society.
A course in the sociology of sport and physical activity should be part of an undergraduate curriculum in a kinesiology program because social issues that impact sports and athletes are often overlooked within kinesiology program despite playing an important role within sports. Kinesiology programs tend to focus on the impact of sport and importance of sport and physical activity and could use the insight that sociology of sport and physical activity can provide. The more we know about the social issues around sport and physical activity, and how to limit them, the more we can understand sport and how to improve it and the equality within it.
At the Gym, written by Mark Doty, dramatizes the conflict within the mind of a bodybuilder and his desire to change who and what he is. The speaker observes the routines of the bodybuilder bench-pressing at a local gym, and attempts to explain the driving force that compels him to change his appearance. The speaker illustrates the physical use of inanimate objects as the tools used for the “desired” transformation: “and hoist nothing that need be lifted” (5,6). However, coupled with “but some burden they’ve chosen this time” (7), the speaker takes the illustration beyond the physical use of the tools of transformation and delves into the bodybuilder’s mental state. The speaker ends by portraying the bodybuilder as an arrogant, muscular being with fragile feelings of insecurity.
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has become vast enterprise of four original novels, fifty-six short stories, over two hundred films, about ten television shows, and numerous appearances in other televisions shows such as Alvin and the Chipmunks and Star Trek: The Next Generation (exhibition). The character is iconic and known all over the world. However, it seems that the formula in which the stories are written may have been borrowed from or inspired by some of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. The similarities are striking. Both authors feature stories about solving ciphers and "cracking the code." Poe created the character C. Auguste Dupin who is the first known detective in fiction. Dupin also set the trend of the "armchair detective" who can solve crimes or mysteries without inspecting the detail in person. Holmes is plainly based on this style as well. Another significant feature is the use of first person perspective that is not that of the detective but of the companion (Thomas).
Through the institutions in society obesity has been stigmatized. The media, medical field and business world to name a few have looked down on obesity. The media for example uses sex appeal a lot of the time to advertise or draw in ratings and therefore individuals exposed to the media see that everyone in the world should hold these ideal body types. Also in the business domain obese people are viewed either as lazy, lacking in self-control or both, causing them to be less desirable candidates for employment. From this one can then see that any individual who happens to have more body weight than the norm is deviant to the values of society. Deviance being Merton’s concept of “ modes of action that do not conform to the dominant norms or values in a social group or society.” (Appelrouth, Edles, 2012: 814) Since in structural functionalism everything plays a role in society Merton would argue that this deviance of body weight actually is useful. For example, the growing concerns of obesity can help the medical field unite in its focus on researching what is a true healthy body. As scientist and medical professionals investigate the negative causes of obesity on the human body and mind, they can in turn learn new concepts of the human anatomy allowing improved developments in our health system. This outcome of focus on obesity can
The sport related issue that will be looked at throughout this essay is one major problem that is continuously growing, which is obesity. What obesity actually is, is the state of being overweight due to lack of physical activity and fitness. Further on through this essay, there will be a discussion of the number of key issues which revolve around obesity in relation to the three main theoretical perspectives, these are; sociology, psychology and physiology. Furthermore with these three different theoretical perspectives, a display of research methods will be used in order to create further investigation and supporting evidence will be shown for each of the perspectives. Also throughout this essay, a discussion will be shown from different researchers in how obesity can be investigated further. Supporting evidence will also be used throughout this essay in order to display different view-points from different researchers who have different opinions and view-points on the topic of obesity with linkage to sociology, psychology and physiology.
The fitness industry was established between the 1970s and the 1980s, the popular trend then was running and aerobics. Later, it the 1990s, club membership started which contributed to an enormous period of growth in fitness centers in the 2000s. The International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) show that as of 2013, 41 million Americans are now members of a health club. Just about half of the members belong to commercial health clubs, and the rest belong to non-profit clubs, country clubs or spas. The fitness and health club industry is highly fragmented, as there are the main fifty largest companies who control about thirty percent of the market, and there are only a few companies who own more than ten health clubs (IHRSA, 2013).
I chose Johan Norberg’s essay because I found it interesting how big franchise companies, in this case like Nike, makes their profits but workers can still manage to maintain a decent living. Even though what Nike is doing is...
The competition between the different exercise protocols for space highlights the struggle for each group to garner valuable resources to enhance their training routine. Next, the gym showcases social laws that everyone adheres to such as cleaning equipment, avoid gawking at others, and sticking to your respective workout space. Consequently, when a deviance to any of these laws becomes apparent the gym society swiftly acts to correct the action with disapproval and guidance for corrective actions. Finally, the gym truly embodies cultural pluralism during this hour long viewing people work together, conversant, and encourage one another regardless of their ethnic background. Since examples are highlighting social concepts, let’s move
First of all, I have visited the WH&FC after I was made an appointment, I asked for a staff member to show me around to have a first impression of what a realistic gym does like. Secondary, I have been collecting promotional or relevant materials that are trying to understand the positioning of the WH&FC. Thirdly, I have been searching websites and secondary resources for information about the WH&FC market, In addition, the primary research also including talked to current customer and first line employee. Paul, a member staff of Fitness First, he said that the Fitness First not only provides high service quality to satisfy our customer, but also to enable our employees works in a friendly atmosphere, this indicates or implies a key factor of why Fitness First has been successfully growing fast in years. Some of detailed examples will be used to combine with definition to make an in-depth analysis. Finally, a well-prepared methodology should towards to achieve the research findings that are based on Literature Review.
“Do you even lift bro?” has become the new slang phrase in this period where fitness has become a popular trend across the globe. It has become apparent that fitness, for the most part, dominates many aspects of social media – from infomercials on the best workout videos to the plethora of “how to” fitness videos on YouTube. However, the cause of this fitness boom has been debated for quite some time. Many people assume that the rise in fitness occurred because of its correlation to longevity, but I believe that fitness became popularized through social media. Through the help of celebrity-athletes and the advancement of social media outlets, the public’s perception of fitness (mainly aesthetics) changed from being only for the select few to the obtainable goal of the average citizen.
Physical education (PE) has been around since Greek times, when health, strength, and moral rectitude are seen as an ideal body type. In that time, they were fit to do well in war and have strong babies. Exercise has since become a way to combat other things than just health issues. In the early twentieth century, people suspected that the immigrants flowing into the country would replace the immigrants that had already established their home. Exercise became a way to show that people have discipline. This started a movement, where everyone wanted exercise equipment, like bicycles. This movement provided people with healthy and plump bodies. Even though healthy seems to be the best option, during the late twentieth century people, especially women, started focusing on weight and body shape. The ideal image for women was thin and/or curvaceous. The ideal image for men was lean and muscular. Bodybuilding was also seen as appealing to men. (Teague)