Meaningful Narratives (1)
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Porterville College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
301
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
Pages
6
Uploaded by ProfGuineaPig3392
All answers should be in paragraph form. Aside from specific personal examples, please
provide
sources for cited evidence. NB Chapters 8 and 11 in your textbook can provide valuable
evidence to inform your answer!
1. Consider your experiences with physical activity and then reflect on how you
experienced aspects of social differences (i.e. social class, gender, race, (dis)ability,
religion, sexual orientation, and their intersection) in sport and physical activity. Please
provide a specific example to illustrate.
I have been physically active my whole life, being a three-sport athlete throughout middle school
and high school. Through my years of playing multiple sports, I have experienced many aspects
of social differences. However the most prevalent in my experience has to be gender disparities.
I started noticing these differences between male and female sports early on in my high school
career. Male sports received more media attention, more funding for their programs, and more
recognition than female sports did. A specific example that I can think of is when the varsity
volleyball team won the CIF Valley Champs. We were all very excited about this and all the
hard work we had put in to get to where we were. However, at the CIF Valley game, there were
no supporters from our school present. This was because our school had done no advertising or
social media announcements that we had even made it to Valley. In contrast, when the school's
boy's football team was in their first game of playoffs, the school announced it and posted it on
social media like crazy. This caused a huge turnout for the game and many people were talking
about it the whole week. This example just goes to show how the advertising and public
attention given to male and female athletes is so disproportionate.
2. Using these personal experiences and historical examples, apply the concept of
“Collective Narrative” to explain how culture, identity, and otherness (who belongs/who
doesn’t) are woven into sporting narratives both now and in the past. Please provide one
paragraph reflecting on the present and one paragraph for the past.
The concept of “Collective Narrative” in the context of sports plays a significant role in
culture, identity, and inclusion/exclusion. In the past, women were not allowed to compete in
sports as it had historically been a privilege reserved for men only. As the years went on,
however, people started to realize that the victories of female athletes held the same weight as
those of men. This prompted the Soviet Union to “select 40 females, who composed 13 percent
of the team” for the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 (Kretchmar et al 282). By 1988 the
number of female athletes in the Helsinki Olympic Games increased to 162. This sparked a
growing wave of other countries recruiting female athletes to defend the victories by women.
However, while there was an increase in women athletes most of these opportunities reflected a
racial divide. “Women of color have long faced biases in sport that highlight the important need
to appreciate how intersectionality influences discrimination in sport” (Kretchmar et al 283).
While white women have experienced sexism while trying to claim their place in sports, blacks,
Latinas, Asians, and other minorities experienced sexism and racism. These historical collective
narratives were marked by exclusivity, reinforcing the idea of who belonged and who didn't
based on gender and race. Over time, societal shifts and advocacy have contributed to rewriting
these past “Collective Narratives” which has opened up sports to a diverse representation of
gender, race, and ethnicity.
Currently, sports are increasingly recognized as a platform for inclusivity, challenging
these historical norms and biases. There have been various athletes from diverse backgrounds
being highlighted for their talents, which contributes to a more inclusive view of sports. For
example, Simone Biles, an African American gymnast has rewrote the narrative surrounding her
sport. She is recognized for her extreme talent in gymnastics and breaks the stereotype of what a
gymnast should “look” like or where they should have grown up. She has been an inspiration to
other minorities in gymnastics and proves to everyone that your background should not be a
limiting factor in pursuing success in sports. Athletes, like Simon Biles, who come from
underrepresented backgrounds are contributing a more inclusive “Collective Narrative” in
contemporary time.
3. How do the collective narratives described above link to the concepts of power, privilege
and intersectionality?
The collective narratives in sports, as described above, are linked to the concepts of power,
privilege, and intersectionality. When looking at sports and recognizing who’s included and who
gets to play we get a better understanding of how “power and privilege work on a social level”
(Gleaves 7:37, Slide ). Society elevates people with power and privilege which links to the
concept of collective narratives in sports because we can see which groups are elevated and have
influence through sports. For example, in the lecture, we can see that in the photo of the
Women’s National Soccer Team. The first thing that can be noticed is the disproportionate
number of white women in the photo compared to women of color. There is also a lack of
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
representation of different religions and ethnicities in this photo. This photo can even reflect a
“story of what it means to be American” (Gleaves 9:25, Slide 16). This photo is an example of
how collective narratives are directly linked to the concept of power, privilege and
intersectionality.
4. Using the Is/Ought Distinction, try to morally evaluate the collective narratives told in
your sporting experiences. The moral evaluation should consider how collective
narratives affect whether sport promotes rights, social justice, equity, inclusiveness, and
respect for human dignity.
A. What “Is” the case with collective narratives in sport? (What narratives do we tell in
sport?) Consider the collective narratives that the group does morally endorse and the
ones that the group does not morally endorse.
The collective narratives in sports are complex as they reflect the values, beliefs, and moral
endorsements of a particular community or society. These narratives form “a story we tell
ourselves about ourselves” (Gleaves 3:12, Slide 7, Geertz, 2005, p.82). These narratives are
“intentionally introduced and shaped by culture and history” (Gleaves 3:38, Slide 8). When
evaluating the collective narratives told in my sporting experiences, the gender disparities I have
observed in media attention, funding, and recognition between male and female sports highlight
a morally significant issue within the collective narratives of sports. The disproportionate
attention and support given to male sports, despite the achievements of female athletes, reflect
gender inequality within the sports culture. This narrative is morally investigated as it goes
against the principles of gender equality and fairness. It creates harmful stereotypes and
undermines the accomplishments of female athletes, reinforcing the idea that male sports are
more important.
B. What ought to be the case with collective narratives in sport? (What narratives should
we try to tell in sport to promote rights, social justice, equity, inclusiveness, and respect
for human dignity?) Include the collective narratives that the group does morally endorse
and add additional ones that the group thinks could be morally endorsed.
Promoting gender rights, social justice, equity, inclusiveness, and respect for human
dignity in sports will involve reshaping collective narratives that align with these values.
Ensuring equal opportunities, recognition, and resources for athletes regardless of their gender
aligns with principles of equality and fairness. This advocates for an inclusive sports culture that
does not support discrimination based on gender. Along with this, promoting community
engagement and support for all athletes regardless of their sport or gender, will emphasize the
moral responsibility to create a supportive and encouraging environment for all athletes.
Citations
Gleaves, John, director. YouTube, YouTube, 25 May 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLAgq8Ve0M8. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024.
Kretchmar, Robert Scott, et al. “Chapter 11.” History and Philosophy of Sport and
Physical Activity, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 2024, pp. 282–283.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help