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Weslee Mok
Professor Fimbres
Kinesiology 003
10 May 2019

Sociology of Physical Activity

1. List and Discuss the goals of sociological study of physical activity?

Goal #1: We all have our own perception of physical activity, but what we lack is how
deeply we understand the subject. Instead of viewing it at a surface level of what society
perceives physical activity, the goal is to comprehend it on a deeper level. Societal norms
and our environment pratically forces certain ideas and assumptions into our minds right
from the beginning. Therefore, we must approach these assumptions with skepticism and
to not take everything at face value.

Goal #2: Once an individual understands the concept of physical activity on their own
terms, the next step is to begin identifying these changes and patterns. Why is it that there
is that certain perception? We often consider things to be ‘normal’ once the majority of
society deems it to be. The goal is to identify and describe these patterns of changes and
stability in physical activity.

Goal #3: As someone who studied Sociology and Behavioral Statistics, there are studies
done to evaluate how social interaction affects current societal problems and events.
Once they identify these factors they often make changes in order to fix those issues or to
come up with possible solutions. In physical activity there is a similar method by
critiquing physical activity programs in order to identify problems that can be resolved to
help the equality of human well-being.

2. Describe the expanding research directions in sociology of physical activity from

1970 to the present?
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The 1970s bloomed in terms of research expansion for physical activity. Social inequities
in gender, race, ethnicity, wealth, sexual orientation and cultural differences were all
explored and expanded since then. And the research was not limited to only these
topics—other studies were conducted on a global scale with regional and national
differences. Different branches of physical activity were researched in detail such as
societal conceptions of the human body and exercise. And with the concept of the human
body followed more concerning issues such as disabilities, abilities, and obesity.
Naturally humans were bound to create assumptions and ideals as society advanced, so
the more it grew, so did the concept of physical activity, the human body, and general
well-being. Throughout history, physical activity sociologists have developed a keen eye
to identifying these factors and issues, fine-tuning their research in order to prevent them
and broaden their field of study. Much like the goals as mentioned above, becoming
aware of these inequalities in physical activity helped shaped the way research is
nowadays.

3. Describe the ties between leadership in physical activity programs and power
relationships based on gender, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Society has formed a general concept of what physical activity programs should possess.
It should be equal and balanced—an ideal form of leadership amongst the rest of the
group. And yet, due to human nature, it is easy to tilt the balance of this concept of
equality. Factors such as prestige, gender, wealth, physical appearance, and ethnic
background can drastically change the leadership and power dynamics in physical
activity programs. These concepts can bring in unhealthy competition and lead to
inequality amongst leadership opportunities. Wealth and prestige are both sources of
positive and negative influences. It often allows better opportunities and choices for those
that possess more wealth and therefore can readily access essentials such as well-
equipped facilities. It gives an unfair advantage to the others who do not have access to
the better equipment and facilities.

Gender, physical appearance, and ethnic background all can be considered as bias and a
major contributor to inequality. These are all often taken at face value and are not given a
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chance to show their true potential, causing a problems within these physical activity
programs. Unfortunately, women are constantly ridiculed for doing things that are ‘not
feminine’ such as sports and physical activity. It is a behavior that is looked down on
while men are praised and rewarded for it. This creates a major rift in the power dynamic
and forces gender norms on individuals that merely wanted to participate in the physical
activity program. Ethnicity and race also play into this discrimination and segregation
amongst sports teams, groups, and programs. Certain groups are more particular towards
one race over another, and while it is a bit less prominent nowadays, it still is prevelant.
All of these factors reflect socioeconomic issues that causes a difference in power
relationships and leadership in physical activity programs that remain in our society.