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How social and cultural factors shaped sports and pastimes in post-1850 industrial Britain

The industrial revolution changed the way people lived and worked and there was a distinction between work and leisure.

When working in factories, to begin with people worked very long hours - 12. People had little time or energy for sports. Sunday was a day off but was regarded as a rest day, linked to the church. Holidays, often church based 'holy days', were still in place.

Can you name the factors?

For upper classes, there were more opportunities, many involving country pursuits, e.g. shooting or hunting. As transport developed (railways), the upper classes took their sports further afield.

Factors

Social Class

  • In the 19th Century, there was a strong class divide.
  • A middle class was formed. These were professionals, factory owners and managers. They did not own big estates and were not born into aristocracy.
  • Middle class had more time to be involved in sport and were influential in developing it. Many went to public schools and helped develop rules and governing bodies, e.g. football and rugby.

Public school: a place of education of old standing which the sons of gentlemen traditionally attended in large numbers and continue to attend from 8-18 years of age.

Amateurism and professionalism

To be an amateur meant you would not be paid and this suited the upper and middle classes. In cricket, where amateurs and professionals played on the same time, class distinction was obvious - how?

  • Different changing rooms
  • Lower class bowlers
  • Lower class cleaned the kit

In rugby and football, professionalism was controversial.

In the north, broken time payments were introduced.

These were when working men were compensated for missing work in order to play. This was against the amateur principles of playing, held by the upper class. Tensions led to rugby splitting into rugby league and rugby union.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRUHxGwv_VY (differences in rugby union and rugby league)

GOLF

The rules of Golf were first written in the 18th century, but the open championship was first played in 1861. Before this, there were separate competitions for amateurs and professionals, as the pros did not fit in with sport's image of a gentlemanly game.

Professionals played for money and so were more competitive, which contrasted with the amateur principles of playing for the sake of the game and not to necessarily win, and certainly not to profit from it.

Gender and changing status of women

Opportunities were limited; women were meant to marry and have children and be financially dependent on husbands.

Therefore education for women was pointless and frivolous. Schooling for girls was limited. They did not have careers and most professions refused entry to women. They were allowed to become teachers, (but this was a low status job with bad pay).

There was change in the late 19th century.

Women were not expected to marry because there was a shortage of men because:

- boys had a higher mortality rate

- males served in the armed forces

- males were more likely to emigrate

The limitations of schooling for women were identified by the Taunton Royal Commission Report on secondary education in 1868.

Following this, female education pioneers emerged.

There was a movement to bring equal rights to study work, own property, and eventually vote. This also encouraged more women and girls to take part in sport at school.

Law and Order

The development of more defined laws and a sense of order, affected the sports played, namely by the lower class.

Changes in law, led to the decline in blood sports, e.g. cock fighting and animal baiting.

The upper classes, held onto thier sports, e.g. fox hunting, depsite being just as cruel. However, as they and are the middle classes were the law makers, they could decide which sports to keep.

Education and literacy

Education for the masses came late to Britain. The upper classes did not want to develop the lower classes as they felt education created power and they wanted to keep them under control.

The working class did not want to be educated as it was of little relevance. Child labour was common and working class families needed thier childs wage instead of them having an education.

The employment of children continued to rise even after 1850.

Upper and middle classes needed to be educated to understand the rules. Lower class sport was associated with wagering on horse racing and public houses.

The Education Act 1870 (Forster Act), began the modern system of education in England. State education for all stems from here.

Elementary schools nationwide were created.

They were not to replace what already existed, but supplment those already run by the churches, private individuals and guilds.

Elementary education became free, with the passing of the 1891 Education Act.

Lower class had more access to education and could therefore understand more complex rules. Therefore, more people could become involved in sport.

Education reports

Availibility of time and money

The factory owners begin to realise sport could keep thier workers healthy. They encouraged the formation of factory teams.

1. Dial square, formed by the workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich in 1886, went onto become Aresenal FC.

2. West Ham was formed by the workforce at Thames Iron Works in 1895.

3. Newton Heath, a club founded by workers from Lancashire and Yorshire Railway company, went onto become Machester United.

A happier, contented workforce would be more effective. Some owners would pay for an annual excursion to the seaside - a seaside holiday began.

After the 1850s, sport started to develop quickly. This was due to the amount of leisure time available (although working class found participation hard due to lack of disposable income).

72 hour week, working in factories on machinery - no time or energy

Saturday half-day allowed skilled workers a little more time to play. Sport was developing, but most did not want to play as they were living in poverty.

By 1965, a 40-45 hour week was typical.

By the end of the 20th century, a 37-40 hour week made it easier to be involved in sport.

The law today states holidays should be at least 4 weeks per annum, making it easier to watch or take part in sport.

Type and availibility of transport

Historically, there was little transport available for the majority of the population. Before the 20th century it was mainly walking and horseback.

Development of roads, bicycle, and mainly railways helped developed seaside resorts and sporting fixtures, allowing players to travel and spectators to watch.

Cars are also massed produced now, increasing the availibility of sport, when compared to 50 years ago.

The railways, developed in 1830s, had the biggest impact on sport.

The effects of the development of railways

The greatest immediate impact of railways was on horse racing. Originally, racing schedules were limited and horses had to walk to race meetings. With rail travel, horses could race more, with racecourses opening thier own stations on branch lines. Sports became timetabled.

Cricket teams could tour the country, such as William Clarke's All England XI.

Rail travel meant more attendees to spectate, more participation and levelling out of standards across the country.

The influence of public schools

The middle class developed sport through public schools. Public schools were exclusive to the upper class and males originally. They were called public because those that attended did not necessarily come from that area. They were exclusive because of the travel and tuition fees involved. Public schools developed many modern sports, including the rules, facilities and organised way of playing.

Public Schools

Public schools

At the beginning of the 19th Century, organised sport was not a feature in public schools. The headmasters did not like sport.

What were public schools like?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FETVNG-73b0 (fagging system)

Parents were concerned about the treatment of their boys, who under the prefect-fagging system, experienced bullying and brutality. They were used as slaves and exploited by the older boys. Schools had to take action, or parents would take thier children (and money) elsewhere.

Thomas Arnold, headmaster at Rugby school, wanted his pupils to grow up as moral Christian gentlemen. He revised the fagging system and promoted regulated sports, which provided exercise and encouraged healthy competition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbAYq7HwV1Q (Arnold's reform of Rugby school).

Arnold developed the house system, which helped fom competitive sports teams. He instigated prefects, who organised sports. He developed the idea of muscular christianity, which linked sport to being a Christian gentleman. He therefore linked sports, games and moral and ethical character. This concept of development of character through sport is often referred to as the cult of athleticism.

The cult of athleticism: a combination of physical endeavour, or trying hard, and moral integrity, or being honourable, truthful and showing good sportsmanship.

By 1845, the pupils at Rugby, wrote down the rules of Football at thier school to ensure fair play. In the Rugby version, handling the ball was allowed, but in 1849 pupils at Eton created a rival game restricting the use of hands.

Pupils took the games with them to University, but many played different versions. A need for a common set of rules arose and at Cambridge University 4 attempts were made in the 1840s and 1850s. Eventually, the rules were agreed on, in 1863. Players from around the country came together to form the Football Association (the FA) and the Cambridge rules were adopted. The formation of the FA matched the desire for order that was becoming important at the time.

Other sports followed:

1. The amateur athletics club formed 1866

2. The rugby football union formed 1871

3. The lawn tennis association formed 1888

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