Figueroa's Framework - Structural Level

Ancient Greece

Sport as a microcosm of society...

Body Image

Microcosm = miniature representation of society that shares a feature or features of society on a smaller scale.

Today...

The social construction of gender and physical activity.

1980s

Your turn to think!

When the 'ideal' body is referred to, this is a loose perception which changes over time. Have a look at the photos!

Body image has a significant role to play in an individual's participation in exercise, sport and physical activity, so development of a good body image is essential!

Renaissance Period

Sport can be called a microcosm of society because it reflects both the positive and negative features of our society. For example, sport has become more corporate and materialistic over time, jut as society has. In addition, some of the negatives within society such as drugs, racism, violence, extreme competitiveness and sexual assault can be seen within sport. Despite these negatives, some of the positives which can be seen within the microcosm of sport can be used as models for society at large. For example, team work, good sportsmanship and fair play are all required within many aspects of society. Along with the hard work and determination required to succeed at most sporting pursuits, sport can help to build a person's moral character. Of course, there are ethics within sport that can be questioned... just as there are in society.

Remember we've already discussed the difference between 'sex' and 'gender'?? Sex = biological whilst gender = behaviour which is feminine or masculine, or a combination. Gender characteristics differ between societies and across social, ethnic and cultural groups, and also within varying social contexts.

The social construction of gender means that individuals are influenced by various aspects of the culture and society in which they live. This means that gender is learnt through a range of experiences. This might include the toys received by children, the play opportunities available to them, television and children's games and of course what they see older people modeling around them.

Other issues related to the media and equity within sport at the structural level are the availability of sport on a free-to-air basis, the hegemonic masculinity shown when reporting on sport, the promotion of equity, acknolwledgement of diversity and the creation of supportive environments. These are all areas where the media can provide a positive influence.

It's also important for us to consider other social justice barriers at the structural level: age; socioeconomic circumstances; gender; ethnicity and race; and disability.

Consider the barriers to older people (50+) participating in sport and physical activity...

What about the barriers to someone from a low income family? What could the government do to overcome these barriers?

What about the barriers to female participation? Again, what can be done about these barriers at the structural level?

What factors could be barriers to a person from a different ethnic group? Or to Indigenous Australians? How could more equitable access be provided?

And finally, what are some barriers for people with an intellectual or physical disability? Or barriers for their families? How could these barriers be overcome?

1960s

1800s

You also need to remember several other aspects of the cultural level...

1950s

• A person's ethnic identity - and associated gender expectations
• National identity and the impact of participation in sport
• The influence of dominant culture and history
• The origins of sport and exercise within the country of residence

John Coates - AOC Chairman

HOMEWORK

5. The increasing internationalism of Australian sport. TV and internet technology have enabled the Australian market access to round-the-clock sport. We can see this impact through the range of American and English team products available here in Australia.

6. Maintaining the status quo in sport. This trend refers to the hegemonic masculinity shown within the coverage of sport in Australia. The traditional male sports receive the majority of TV coverage, with new sports, or women's sport receiving very little.

Q1: List reasons why governments are involved in sponsoring exercise, sport and physical activity.

Q2. Describe how gender can be socially constructed.

REVISE! PREPARE! REVISE!

3. The increasing role of the media. Here Stoddart is referring to game times and playing venues being allocated by media interest, and to suit TV schedules. The GC marathon starts at 7.20am for Japanese TV! A further example would be rule changes made to make sport more media friendly. Did you know that volleyball made some major changes including a point being scored on each rally to help to predict the length of games and assist TV organisations?

4. The creation of sports stars. The fourth trend is for advertising power and TV to lead to the creation of sports stars who earn large salaries and other income from sport. Consider the careers of sports stars of the 70s and 80s to the careers of sports stars today, whose images are used to promote almost anything possible to be sold! (Who predicted the Honey Badger selling undies?)

According to data, about 50% of Australia's population participate 'regularly' in sport and physical activity. Amezdroz et. al state that

"If sport contributes to the nation's health and community cohesion, a key task for sports policy makers and administrators is to address the factors and, in some cases,

the barriers that prevent participation."

(2010, p.516).

THE CULTURAL LEVEL!

The cultural level of FF is concerned with shared assumptions, beliefs and values about issues such as: body image; social construction of gender; and ethics. The cultural level requires investigation into how diversity and cultural norms can affect involvement in exercise, sport and physical activity.

The Media's Impact

The Crawford Report (May 2010)

One challenge facing sporting administrators within the structural level of Figueroa's Framework is the media's influence on the distribution of sporting resources and rewards. A prominent Australian sports sociologist Brian Stoddart (google him!) has identified 6 key trends in the growing relationship between the media and sport.

1. Coverage of Sport is increasingly superficial. He calls this 'mediasport'.

2. The advertising power of sport has increased. Not only are sports selected for coverage based on their advertising appeal, but some events are well known for their ads. Consider the superbowl ads...

The report made the recommendations under the following headings:

• Defining our National Sports Vision - with a sport policy framework and measurable goals.
• Reforming the Australian Sport Commission to lead the sport system - giving the ASC more of a role.
• Merging Institutes of Sport - With the concept of not doubling up at state and national level.
• Building the Capacity of National Sports Organisations - National organisations should be assisted by the ASC, but be responsible for developing their own sport, with a focus on recreational participation. (Eg. Rugby Union, Rugby League, A-League, AFL, Super Netball)
• Putting Sport and Physical Activity Back Into Education - national curriculum, upgrade and provision of school sport facilities, community access etc. (The national curriculum places HPE in the top 5 subjects!)
• Building Community Sport with People and Places - development of volunteers and coaches, encourage former scholarship holders to 'repay' their debt.
• Ensuring Australia's Sport System is Open to All - Removal of barriers such as geographic location, disability etc.
• Sustaining the Funding Base for Sport - Review of elite sport funding and the allocation to high performance and grassroots programs. (This one made some people angry! There are a number of articles and letters in your textbook which you could reference as separate items on your reference list for the exam. HINT HINT!)

Government Involvement

The sports funding debate...

Structural Level

Some concerns raised in the sports funding debate are:

• Too much money is spent on Olympic sports at the expense of more popular sports played in Australia.
• Elite sport is given too much funding.
• Elite sport is favoured and privileged in terms of recognition.

What are some arguments or points that could oppose these?

The key struggles for governments when supporting sport and physical activity are based around the following questions.

• Should funding be selective or broad based?
• Should funding be administered locally or centrally?
• Should elite sport or mass participation in exercise, sport and physical activity be supported?

In 2010, the government commissioned David Crawford to complete a report into sport and sport funding in Australia...

Research by Jay Coakley (His blog is called Sports in Society, you might like to look at it) suggests that government involvement in sport tends to be related to support and sponsorship, organisation and administration and provision of facilities. There are a number of reasons why this involvement occurs, such as promoting health and fitness of the community, promoting a sense of identity, belonging and unity, increasing good support for the government itself, and promoting economic development;

amongst other reasons. BUT there is a

PROBLEM with government funding...

It's rarely FAIR!

The Structural Level examines inequities within society on a larger scale. This includes the impact of government, funding from government and non-government sources, the media's influence on how resources and rewards are distributed, and social justice components.

Government funding does not result in equal benefits for everyone. Prior to 1970, government funding tended to be provided directly to sporting organisations for the development of elite athletes. The involvement of the federal government in recreation, sport and other forms of culture since the early 1970s led to policies encouraging access and equity. Issues in the 1970s, including a cut of sport funding by 20%. A federal inquiry into the poor performance at the Montreal Olympics eventually led to the establishment of the AIS in 1980. Another organisation, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) now oversees programs focused on greater participation, particularly at 'grassroots level' and participation by women, Indigenous Australians and peple with a disability. The ASC continues to provide funding for over 100 different sports, including scholarships to the AIS and grants for facility development.

Whilst we can argue that this funding is essentially a good thing... there are concerns as to how funding is balanced or fair...

Figueroa's Framework - Structural & Cultural Levels