Chapter 5 Deviance and sport Winning at all cost or The price to pay to be numero uno Issues and controversies regarding deviance in sport Some researchers contend that the inordinate amounts of time spent honing skills for athletic contests dietary supplements and mental conditioning contribute to sport deviance Yet others deem these behaviors to be vital to sport competition and necessary for success The athlete is often praised and emulated for behaviors that at times may be akin to the common workaholic and as violent as an incarcerated felon Norms help determine what is acceptable and unacceptable in the social world o Formal informal Various theories maxims and examples will aid in the analysis of sport deviance Who determines deviant behavior Most social theorists agree that deviance involves behavior that violates basic social norms and or rules Others contend that many rules have been enacted and enforced by those in power and deviance is any behavior those in power deem inappropriate or wrong The latter perspective suggests that deviance is viewed strictly as relative and arbitrary There have always been questions pertaining to what constitutes deviance in society as well as sport Practices in one culture society or environment may be construed as deviant and acceptable in another Such is the case in sport where acts and behaviors may be customary in sport yet frowned upon and punished in society The dichotomy of sport deviance Maxim 1 there is a thin line between deviance and acceptance Noteworthy terms o Medicalized sports the heavy emphasis and utilization of biochemistry and pharmacology in sports to enhance performance e g illegal steroids and human growth hormones o Sports medicine a relatively new industry primarily designed to study diagnose and treat injuries specifically associated with sport and fitness related activities o Consumptive deviance actions and appearances that suggest acts of deviance without producing any real negative consequences for those involved Staged deviant acts e g wrasling matches Discussion Theory seems to apply best to extreme cases of sport deviance e g Detroit PistonsIndiana Pacers altercations Monica Sele s stabbing etc Theory subscribes to an austere law and order orientation e g rule enforcement and severe penalties Critics argue theory has not proved to be very successful in understanding deviant behavior or developing programs to address deviance in sport e g rules and sanctions regarding drug use illegal collegiate recruiting violence etc Theories Absolutist approach aka structural functionalist o Basic assumptions When behaviors of individuals involved in sport physical activities do not adhere to prescribed ideals rules or norms they are deemed deviant Deviance viewed as the failure to conform to societal norms or the departure from cultural ideals Behavior deemed either right or wrong Arbitrarily separates rule followers from rule violators Severe punishment and sanctions beget behavioral conformity Assumes people violate rules because they lack certain societal attributes i e moral character sound judgment intelligence and sanity Relativist approach akin to conflict theory Basic assumptions o No behavior is inherently deviant Perceived as relative o Deviance defined via a labeling process whereby some behaviors or people are deemed bad undesirable or unacceptable based on rules made by those in power Deviance viewed as behavior that violates interests of people with economic power and influence o Individuals lacking economic power are frequently disadvantaged handicapped or disenfranchised They rarely have input in rule making and enforcement o Disenfranchised most apt to be deemed deviant due to arbitrary rule development E g Society MLK Sport NBA coaches and microphones Remember The relativist approach may be as liberal as the absolutist approach is conservative Maxim 2 there is a thin line between deviance and brilliance Applying theoretical frameworks When used actual behavior is often compared to a designated norm The greater the actual behavior is from the norm the more deviant behavior is said to be Problems studying deviance Diverse in nature i e types and causes Varies depending upon milieu norms Unquestioned acceptance of norms rein Science and technology precede detection Sanctioning agencies may not be inclusive See Coakley s discussion 2015 p 108 110 Discussion Theoretical approach embraced by conflict theorists o Contends that many rules and aspects in sport organizations cater to the economic interests of owners sponsors and league officials o Athletes laborers interests are often ignored and or compromised e g astroturf Athletes viewed as victims due to structure of sport o Athletes alternatives include 1 Disagreement 2 Rebellion Perceived as ultraliberal approach to deviance Personal commentary The relative or conflict theory approach to deviance appears to be an overly liberal approach so liberal that it may be debilitating and condescending If deviance is relative at what point is behavior deemed deviant Is it when behavior is deemed intolerable This perspective can be debilitating and condescending when various behaviors are habitually justified excused and ignored Questions What is the ideal Is the ideal consistent in all sports cultures genders social classes etc Critical normal distribution approach Basic assumptions o Deviance viewed on a continuum Ranges from positive to negative o The normal bell shaped curve Mechanism for analyzing deviance o Deviance viewed as behavior falling well outside range of acceptance See coakley pp 112 115 o Deviance viewed as negative under conformity and positive over conformity o Comprised of cultural interactionist and structural theories Shortcomings The notion of a labeling process influenced and determined by those in power biased norms o Overgeneralization of organizational structures The premise that all established forms of social control are oppressive Approach doesn t seem to identify any behavior as objectively deviant Nothing appears to be viewed as bad or wrong in and of itself Possible shortcomings Emphasis does not appear to be on finding the cause s of the problem but eradicating the behavior with extensive sanctions Assumes that the existing value system and rules are unquestionably right and fair and should be accepted as documented When actions do not match cultural ideals individuals may be deemed deviant Negative deviance Behaviors