The Sociological Benefits Of Playing Sports
Growing up playing some sort of sport is an American tradition." More than forty million youth participate in organized sports nation wide (Le Menstrel and Perkins); that's about thirteen percent of the United States population. Three out of four families with children in the United States have one or more of them in sports (Merkel). Not only does this mass amount reflect the importance of sports in American culture, but it also raises the question of whether or not athletics is beneficial to these participants. Research provides evidence of the many sociological benefits of playing sports. First, athletics socializes youth. It helps these young players get integrated with and learn American culture, as well as develop their human potential/personality. Second, sports teach them the values that American society also prizes. These players then become more successful and accepted in society. Third, researchers have found an inverse relationship between participation in sports and suicide attempts/suicide (Taliaferro). Overall, athletes have a greater chance of experiencing these favorable
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outcomes than non-athletes. The first and main reason why participation in sports is beneficial is because it socializes youth. Socialization is defined as "the lifelong experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture." The first component of socialization is developing human potential, which includes both developing a sense of self and acquiring personality traits (Macionis 102). Mark Allen defines personality traits as "characteristics, thoughts, and behavior patterns that distinguish a person from other individuals." Scientists claim that some of these traits can remain present during an individual's whole life, while others are more prone to change during childhood and adolescence. This is due to his or her's biological development and influences of the external social environment, such as sports. In youth, sports help children play a game in which they must follow rules and guidelines in order to be successful. In doing so, they are also open to new concepts such as discipline, cooperation, fair play, and sportsmanship. Sports also give children a means of learning teamwork, competition, role play, and discipline with rules and goals (Allen). Three psychologists- Allen, Vella, and Laborde- performed a longitudinal study with an aim to determine the association between an active lifestyle and personality trait stability and change during childhood. They found that kids in sports were more able to increase in positive personality traits including resilience, agreeableness, and emotional strength during puberty. They claimed that if kids do not develop these sorts of positive personality traits, they will be more susceptible to negative consequences later in their life. For example, failure to develop resilience could result in a greater difficulty in forming intimate relationships (Allen). The second component of socialization is learning culture (Macionis 102), and participating in sports can accomplish this due to the fact that it provides a "microcosm for living in society." The social relationships an athlete develops and maintains helps the individual to develop social skills, as well as learn different aspects of culture through social interaction. They are able to "experience various roles and group interaction, and contribute to the development of social characteristics that integrate them into existing larger social structures" (Nucci). D.M. Hansen and his colleagues studied the effects of varying types of sports- including individual sports, team sports, and dance- and levels of intensity. To operationalize, they defined sport as "competitive movement activity in which contestants are ranked, earn scores, or are judged for their performance." 7071 high school students each completed a survey at their school under a controlled two hour time frame. They were asked to record what sports they participate in, how often they participate, and the intensity of their participation. The findings suggested that the high school students who participated in athletics all three years showed the more positive aspects of development (Agans). The second sociological benefit of sports is that they can teach and instill in their participants the very same values that American society values. Because these players begin to have the same beliefs that United States citizens deem acceptable and important, they now are able to become more successful and accepted in their society. This is also done through socialization, and more specifically, the component of learning culture (Macionis 102). One key American value is achievement and success, which means that United States citizens believe strongly that each individual's rewards should reflect his or her personal merit. If an individual is successful, they are given the title of "winner" (Macionis 61). Academic success goes hand in hand with achievement and success. An individual's grades reflect their achievement in the classroom. Eric DeMeulenaere performed a longitudinal study to examine the way student athlete involvement in sports contributed to student success. He followed four students for over two years. The student athletes included Mathew, Jamal, Jalisha, and James. In all four cases, the individuals began their education with behavioral or academic struggles, or both. However, once they began participating in some type of sport, their success at school began to rise (DeMeulenaere). DeMeulenaere explains that these transformations happened due to many different abilities that sports provided for the young student athletes. They include the ability to structure schedules, create incentives, build confidence, develop positive role models, and help the players to look beyond high school and create goals for the future (DeMeulenaere). These five benefits of sports helped to promote an increase or transformation of the students' academic success, and thus instilling in them the value of achievement. Therefore, researchers connected these abilities with increased success. United States citizens have developed this whole idea of the importance of being successful and winning, and sports add to it. Indeed, over sixty-five percent of United States adults would say that sports overemphasizes this value ("What Sport Means in America: A Study of Sport's Role in Society"). This statistic shows society's view of the significance of the relationship between winning and achievement in sports. Another American value is equal opportunity. The majority of United States citizens believe that society should provide everyone with equal opportunity to get ahead based on individual efforts and talent (Macionis 61). For example, the Office for Civil Rights states a law in which anyone with mental or physical disabilities, but who meet the qualifications, must be given the same opportunity as anyone else to try out or play for a school sports team ("We Must Provide Equal Opportunity in Sports to Students with Disabilities"). Additionally, Title IX is a law that guarantees gender equality in sports. It requires an equal treatment between male and female athletes regarding various factors such as equipment, scheduling, access to tutoring, medical services, recruitment, and more ("Title IX Frequently Asked Questions"). These two sports related laws have served to promote equal opportunity, and have set an example for participants and spectators of how to do so. Another other key value in American society is activity and work. This value emphasizes getting the job done, taking action, and taking control of events. Sports heroes epitomize this image of "doers who get the job done" (Macionis 61). The widespread regard for successful athletes make them an example for young athletes of what can be attained through hard work and dedication. Therefore, this elevation of athletic role models enables activity and work to be viewed as a desirable belief. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States for people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four (Taliaferro).
This is somewhat of an alarming statistic. However, researchers have regularly found inverse relationships between physical activity and suicide ideation and attempts (Taliaferro). Sports are a way to help socialize youth, and culturally integrate them as they become adolescents. Emile Durkheim was a sociologist who studied suicide, and he found that people who were more culturally integrated were less likely to take their own life (Macionis 5). Because sports offer an opportunity for social relationships to form, they also offer an opportunity for cultural integration. Because of this, another way that sports are beneficial in American society is that they can reduce the risk of suicide ideation/attempts for these participants
(Taliaferro). For example, according to data from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), frequent physical activity reduced the risk of suicide ideation and suicidal tendencies in both males and females. Perhaps this is due to the social support systems that sports can offer, or acceptance of being on a team. Especially for female athletes, the friendships and social relationships they are able to form has a big impact on their risk of suicide. Using this survey, researchers have found not only a decreased risk of suicide for athletes, but also a higher amount of self esteem than non-athletes (Merkel). Page, Hammermeister, Scalan, and Gilbert studied the 1991 YRBS data, which included information about health behaviors. These researchers concluded that males and females in team sports were less likely to attempt suicide (Lester 157). Brown and Blanton studied the relationship between participation in athletics and suicidal ideation and suicide by looking at 10,530 high school students and concluded that boys who played sports vigorously had less suicide ideation and attempts. For girls, the association was between only physical activity and suicide attempts (Lester 157). Statistics were taken from a surgery conducted by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). The data showed that of the female students who participated in physical activity six to seven days a week, fifteen percent reported suicidal ideation, and about six percent reported a suicide attempt in the past year. Of the females who participated in physical activity zero to one time a week, about twenty-seven percent reported suicidal ideation, and ten percent reported an attempted suicide attempt that past year ("Facts: Sports Activity and Children"). Overall, research shows that participating in sports is associated with decreased rates of suicide ideation and attempts in males and females in the United States. Returning to the broader topic of the sociological benefits of athletics, this examination is based on the symbolic-interaction approach. The symbolic-interaction approach is defined as "a framework for building social theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals." It views sports as an ongoing process, rather than as being structured and stable (Macionis 102). This examination is also viewed at the micro level orientation because each benefit is viewed from the perspective of the individual relationships and interactions players have with each other, the coach, and the referees. The first way sports is sociologically beneficial is because it socializes youth. This socialization, including developing a sense of self and forming reality, comes from interacting with others. The symbolic-interaction approach would agree with this statement, because it states that reality is created through social interaction. Additionally, in sports, the players on the team are given an opportunity to participate in a game with rules in which they all have their own roles and requirements to fulfill. George Mead, a symbolic-interactionist, claimed that partaking in such games allows participants to learn more about themselves, and develop a sense of self. The second way sports is beneficial is because it teaches values that American society deems acceptable and important. Again, the way players attain these values is through the interactions with one another during participation in sports. The symbolic-interaction approach also states that the realities individuals create are forever changing, are varied from person to person. Through interactions, every sports team creates some sort of reality for each of its members, just as the symbolic-interaction approach would predict. The third benefit of participating in athletics is the trend of decreased suicide ideation and attempts. Emile Durkheim's studies showed that social integration was associated with low suicide rates (Macionis 5). Because his studies involved social integration, or having strong social ties, the way that sports also accomplishes this is through the symbolic-interaction approach. Social integration and forming social ties come from human contact, interaction, and forming relationships. This is all done, once again, on the micro level. Overall, over forty-five million youth participate in sports nation wide (Merkel). This vast number warrants an investigation of the sociological consequences of sports. On the symbolic-interactionist level, sports provide its participants with many sociological benefits. The first is that athletics provides an opportunity for youth socialization, helping them to develop a sense of self as well as learn culture. The second is that it teaches these participants values and beliefs that American society also finds significant. In this way, these participants are now able to become more accepted in society. The third and final reason is that researchers have continually found associations between participation in athletics and a decrease in suicide ideation and attempts. Overall, sports and athletics provide its participants with many sociological benefits.
outcomes than non-athletes. The first and main reason why participation in sports is beneficial is because it socializes youth. Socialization is defined as "the lifelong experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture." The first component of socialization is developing human potential, which includes both developing a sense of self and acquiring personality traits (Macionis 102). Mark Allen defines personality traits as "characteristics, thoughts, and behavior patterns that distinguish a person from other individuals." Scientists claim that some of these traits can remain present during an individual's whole life, while others are more prone to change during childhood and adolescence. This is due to his or her's biological development and influences of the external social environment, such as sports. In youth, sports help children play a game in which they must follow rules and guidelines in order to be successful. In doing so, they are also open to new concepts such as discipline, cooperation, fair play, and sportsmanship. Sports also give children a means of learning teamwork, competition, role play, and discipline with rules and goals (Allen). Three psychologists- Allen, Vella, and Laborde- performed a longitudinal study with an aim to determine the association between an active lifestyle and personality trait stability and change during childhood. They found that kids in sports were more able to increase in positive personality traits including resilience, agreeableness, and emotional strength during puberty. They claimed that if kids do not develop these sorts of positive personality traits, they will be more susceptible to negative consequences later in their life. For example, failure to develop resilience could result in a greater difficulty in forming intimate relationships (Allen). The second component of socialization is learning culture (Macionis 102), and participating in sports can accomplish this due to the fact that it provides a "microcosm for living in society." The social relationships an athlete develops and maintains helps the individual to develop social skills, as well as learn different aspects of culture through social interaction. They are able to "experience various roles and group interaction, and contribute to the development of social characteristics that integrate them into existing larger social structures" (Nucci). D.M. Hansen and his colleagues studied the effects of varying types of sports- including individual sports, team sports, and dance- and levels of intensity. To operationalize, they defined sport as "competitive movement activity in which contestants are ranked, earn scores, or are judged for their performance." 7071 high school students each completed a survey at their school under a controlled two hour time frame. They were asked to record what sports they participate in, how often they participate, and the intensity of their participation. The findings suggested that the high school students who participated in athletics all three years showed the more positive aspects of development (Agans). The second sociological benefit of sports is that they can teach and instill in their participants the very same values that American society values. Because these players begin to have the same beliefs that United States citizens deem acceptable and important, they now are able to become more successful and accepted in their society. This is also done through socialization, and more specifically, the component of learning culture (Macionis 102). One key American value is achievement and success, which means that United States citizens believe strongly that each individual's rewards should reflect his or her personal merit. If an individual is successful, they are given the title of "winner" (Macionis 61). Academic success goes hand in hand with achievement and success. An individual's grades reflect their achievement in the classroom. Eric DeMeulenaere performed a longitudinal study to examine the way student athlete involvement in sports contributed to student success. He followed four students for over two years. The student athletes included Mathew, Jamal, Jalisha, and James. In all four cases, the individuals began their education with behavioral or academic struggles, or both. However, once they began participating in some type of sport, their success at school began to rise (DeMeulenaere). DeMeulenaere explains that these transformations happened due to many different abilities that sports provided for the young student athletes. They include the ability to structure schedules, create incentives, build confidence, develop positive role models, and help the players to look beyond high school and create goals for the future (DeMeulenaere). These five benefits of sports helped to promote an increase or transformation of the students' academic success, and thus instilling in them the value of achievement. Therefore, researchers connected these abilities with increased success. United States citizens have developed this whole idea of the importance of being successful and winning, and sports add to it. Indeed, over sixty-five percent of United States adults would say that sports overemphasizes this value ("What Sport Means in America: A Study of Sport's Role in Society"). This statistic shows society's view of the significance of the relationship between winning and achievement in sports. Another American value is equal opportunity. The majority of United States citizens believe that society should provide everyone with equal opportunity to get ahead based on individual efforts and talent (Macionis 61). For example, the Office for Civil Rights states a law in which anyone with mental or physical disabilities, but who meet the qualifications, must be given the same opportunity as anyone else to try out or play for a school sports team ("We Must Provide Equal Opportunity in Sports to Students with Disabilities"). Additionally, Title IX is a law that guarantees gender equality in sports. It requires an equal treatment between male and female athletes regarding various factors such as equipment, scheduling, access to tutoring, medical services, recruitment, and more ("Title IX Frequently Asked Questions"). These two sports related laws have served to promote equal opportunity, and have set an example for participants and spectators of how to do so. Another other key value in American society is activity and work. This value emphasizes getting the job done, taking action, and taking control of events. Sports heroes epitomize this image of "doers who get the job done" (Macionis 61). The widespread regard for successful athletes make them an example for young athletes of what can be attained through hard work and dedication. Therefore, this elevation of athletic role models enables activity and work to be viewed as a desirable belief. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States for people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four (Taliaferro).
This is somewhat of an alarming statistic. However, researchers have regularly found inverse relationships between physical activity and suicide ideation and attempts (Taliaferro). Sports are a way to help socialize youth, and culturally integrate them as they become adolescents. Emile Durkheim was a sociologist who studied suicide, and he found that people who were more culturally integrated were less likely to take their own life (Macionis 5). Because sports offer an opportunity for social relationships to form, they also offer an opportunity for cultural integration. Because of this, another way that sports are beneficial in American society is that they can reduce the risk of suicide ideation/attempts for these participants
(Taliaferro). For example, according to data from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), frequent physical activity reduced the risk of suicide ideation and suicidal tendencies in both males and females. Perhaps this is due to the social support systems that sports can offer, or acceptance of being on a team. Especially for female athletes, the friendships and social relationships they are able to form has a big impact on their risk of suicide. Using this survey, researchers have found not only a decreased risk of suicide for athletes, but also a higher amount of self esteem than non-athletes (Merkel). Page, Hammermeister, Scalan, and Gilbert studied the 1991 YRBS data, which included information about health behaviors. These researchers concluded that males and females in team sports were less likely to attempt suicide (Lester 157). Brown and Blanton studied the relationship between participation in athletics and suicidal ideation and suicide by looking at 10,530 high school students and concluded that boys who played sports vigorously had less suicide ideation and attempts. For girls, the association was between only physical activity and suicide attempts (Lester 157). Statistics were taken from a surgery conducted by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). The data showed that of the female students who participated in physical activity six to seven days a week, fifteen percent reported suicidal ideation, and about six percent reported a suicide attempt in the past year. Of the females who participated in physical activity zero to one time a week, about twenty-seven percent reported suicidal ideation, and ten percent reported an attempted suicide attempt that past year ("Facts: Sports Activity and Children"). Overall, research shows that participating in sports is associated with decreased rates of suicide ideation and attempts in males and females in the United States. Returning to the broader topic of the sociological benefits of athletics, this examination is based on the symbolic-interaction approach. The symbolic-interaction approach is defined as "a framework for building social theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals." It views sports as an ongoing process, rather than as being structured and stable (Macionis 102). This examination is also viewed at the micro level orientation because each benefit is viewed from the perspective of the individual relationships and interactions players have with each other, the coach, and the referees. The first way sports is sociologically beneficial is because it socializes youth. This socialization, including developing a sense of self and forming reality, comes from interacting with others. The symbolic-interaction approach would agree with this statement, because it states that reality is created through social interaction. Additionally, in sports, the players on the team are given an opportunity to participate in a game with rules in which they all have their own roles and requirements to fulfill. George Mead, a symbolic-interactionist, claimed that partaking in such games allows participants to learn more about themselves, and develop a sense of self. The second way sports is beneficial is because it teaches values that American society deems acceptable and important. Again, the way players attain these values is through the interactions with one another during participation in sports. The symbolic-interaction approach also states that the realities individuals create are forever changing, are varied from person to person. Through interactions, every sports team creates some sort of reality for each of its members, just as the symbolic-interaction approach would predict. The third benefit of participating in athletics is the trend of decreased suicide ideation and attempts. Emile Durkheim's studies showed that social integration was associated with low suicide rates (Macionis 5). Because his studies involved social integration, or having strong social ties, the way that sports also accomplishes this is through the symbolic-interaction approach. Social integration and forming social ties come from human contact, interaction, and forming relationships. This is all done, once again, on the micro level. Overall, over forty-five million youth participate in sports nation wide (Merkel). This vast number warrants an investigation of the sociological consequences of sports. On the symbolic-interactionist level, sports provide its participants with many sociological benefits. The first is that athletics provides an opportunity for youth socialization, helping them to develop a sense of self as well as learn culture. The second is that it teaches these participants values and beliefs that American society also finds significant. In this way, these participants are now able to become more accepted in society. The third and final reason is that researchers have continually found associations between participation in athletics and a decrease in suicide ideation and attempts. Overall, sports and athletics provide its participants with many sociological benefits.