KIN 3305 Test 3 Notes 4 08 2015 Deviance and Sport Winning At All Cost or The Price to Pay to be Numero Uno Overview Sports and athletic contests frequently promoted to facilitate physical expression creativity healthy lifestyles and national agendas oftentimes fall short of these noble objectives Interestingly the very nature of competitive sport creates adversaries In many sport forms the objective and emphasis of competition elicits hostility toward the opponents Hence sport can be somewhat contradictory in promoting good will sportsmanship and fair play Examples in o Harding Kerrigan U S Figure Skating Championships incident o New Orleans Saints Bountygate Saints were paying players secretly to hurt opponents o Steroid Era and MLB This section addresses some of the salient issues and controversies pertaining to deviance in contemporary sport deviance is not only prevalent in sport but that the structure of sport in American society actually promotes deviance Eitzen 2005 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 and 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 Medicalized Sports The heavy emphasis and utilization of biochemistry and pharmacology in sports to enhance performance e g illegal steroids and human growth hormones 4 13 2015 Maxim 1 There is a thin line between deviance and acceptance Sports Medicine a relatively new industry primarily designed to study diagnose and treat injuries specifically associated with sport and fitness related activities Consumptive Deviance actions and appearances that suggest acts of deviance without producing any real negative consequences for those involved o Staged deviant acts ex wrasling matches Problems Studying Deviance Diverse in nature ex Types and causes Varies depending upon milieu norms Unquestioned acceptance of norms rein Science and technology preceded detection Sanctioning agencies may not be inclusive 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 Questions What is the ideal Is the ideal consistent in all sports cultures genders social classes 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 social 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 ex Moral character sound judgment intelligence and sanity Discussion Theory seems to apply best to extreme cases of sport deviance ex Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers altercation Monica Seles stabbing etc Theory subscribes to an austere law and order orientation ex 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 ex Rules and sanctions regarding drug use illegal collegiate recruiting violence etc Perceived ultraconservative approach to deviance Possible Shortcoming 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 o Remember It s either right or wrong 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 Ex Society MLK Sport NBA coaches and microphones 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 or officials o Athletes laborers interests are often ignored and or compromised ex Astroturf Athletes viewed as victim due to structure of sport o Athletes alternatives include 1 disagreement and 2 rebellion Perceived as ultraliberal approach to deviance 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 Personal