sport and society

• life in pre-industrial britain

  • limited communications and transport
  • widespread illiteracy
  • cruel and violent lifestyle for lower class
  • limited free time- long working hours
  • class divisions based on fuedal systems
  • people lived in the countryside
• feudal system- the holding of the land for service and labour
• characteristics of popular recreation

  • occasional
  • local
  • basic rules
  • aggressive
  • wagering
  • functional
• popular recreation- the sport and past times of people in pre industrial britain
• mob football

  • local
  • rural
  • simple
  • played occasionally
  • male dominance
• real tennis

  • courtly and royal
  • played regularly
  • purpose built facilities
  • non local
  • skillful
• rational recreation- sports pastimes for the lower classes which were designed by middle class
• characteristics of rational recreation

  • respectful
  • regularly played
  • strict/complex rules
  • referees and officials
  • purpose built facilities
  • skillful
• sociocultural influences on rational recreation

  • industrial revolution
  • urbanisation
  • transport revolution
  • communications
  • influences of the church
  • emergence of the middle class
  • british empire
  • public provisions
  • NGBs
• industrial revolution

  • health and hygiene improved
  • increase in wages
  • more spare time
  • public schoolboys created rules
  • values of athelticism
  • factory owners set up teams
  • improved cheap transport
• urbanisation

  • purpose built facilities
  • large working class population spectated sport
  • loss of tradition sports due to violence
  • attendance and participation increased as long hours decreased
• transport revolution

  • development of railways- faster and further travel for spectators
  • improved access to different parts of the country
  • cheaper train travel
• communications

  • people became literate- more newspapers available
  • printed media increased awareness of sport
  • emergence of role models
• church influence

  • clergy encouragement of participation
  • church organised teams and cometitions
  • provided facilities to play in
• emergence of middle class

  • codification
  • competitions
  • public provision
  • increased leisure time
  • professionalism
• the british empire

  teachers- taught sporting values

  factory owners- set up teams and gave workers time off

  clergy- developed church teams

  british army- spread sport throughout the empire

  diplomats- travelled the world and took sport with them

  NGBs- codified sports and established competitions
• public provision

  1. public washing baths created to help combat disease
  2. plunge baths developed for swimming/recreational use
• NGBs

  • sport was increasingly popular
  • more teams/clubs forming
  • more national and international fixtures organised
  • leagues required for teams to compete in
  • codification required
• mob football- an unruley form of football played by the lower classes
• real tennis- upper class activity of the time with strict rules and moral code
• rational recreation- sports for the lower classes which were designed by the middle classes to be well ordered, organised and controlled
• Dr William Penny Brookes- founder of the wenlock olympian games
• industrial revolution- marked a change in britain from a fuedal rural society into an industrialised capitalist society controlled by a powerful urban middle class
• athleticism physical endeavor with moral integrity
• industrial patronage- factory teams were set up by factory owners as a way of decreasing absenteeism and encouraging loyalty in the workforce
• urbanisation- large numbers of people migrating from rural areas into cities to seek regular work in the factories
• social control- the way in which peoples thoughts feelings appearance and behaviour are regulated in social systems
• codifications- the gradual organisation and defining of the rules
• public provision- local council provision of facilities for the masses to participate
• characteristics of rational recreation

  • respectability
  • regularly played
  • codification
  • officials
  • purpose built facilities
  • skills based
• amateur- a person who plays sport for the love of it and receives no financial gain
• professional- a person who plays sport for the financial gain
• values of amateurism

  • manliness
  • health and fitness
  • rule regulated activity
  • high moral integrity
• characteristics of a gentleman amateur

  • respected member of society
  • belong to social elite
  • training was frowned upon
  • play a range of sports
  • play sport to a high moral code
• professional- a person who plays sport for financial gain
• positive impacts of amateurism

  • amateurisms held a higher status than professionals
  • the code of amateurism
  • code of ethics
  • belonging to the social elite
  • participation in sport
  • elite performers
• key features of early twentieth century amateurs

  • high status
  • controllers of sport
  • top performers
  • highly moral
• key features of modern day amateurs

  • lower status
  • some high level performers are still not professional
  • receive finance to pay for training expenses
• positives of modern day amateurism

  • fair play and sportsmanship
  • calling referee sir
  • shaking hands
• modern day professionalism

  • all classes can compete
  • people respected for talents
  • high rewards for professionals
  • more time train
  • more role models
  • increased financial rewards
  • more spectators