Leisure Time.docx
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Leisure Time.docx
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LeisureTime
Chapter10LeisureTime:
OrganizedSports,Recreation,andTelevision
Theformandtypeofplayandsportslifewhichevolveinanygroupornationmirrorthedevelopmentinothersegmentsoftheculture.
AmericanAcademyofPhysicalEducation
BeforeYouRead
1.HowdoyouthinkAmericansliketospendtheirleisuretime?
2.Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofplayingcompetitivesports?
WhydoyouthinkAmericansloveAmericanfootballsomuch?
3.WhatdoyouknowaboutAmericans'eatinghabits?
Whatis"junkfood"?
4.Whatistheimpactoftelevisiononchildren?
SportsandAmericanValues
Mostsocialscientistsbelievethatthesportsthatareorganizedbyasocietygenerallyreflectthebasicvaluesofthatsocietyandattempttostrengthentheminthemindsandemotionsofitspeople.Therefore,organizedsportshaveamoreserioussocialpurposethanspontaneous,unorganizedplaybyindividuals.ThisiscertainlytrueintheUnitedStates,wherethethreemostpopularorganizedsportsarefootball,basketball,andbaseball.Nowherearethewaysandwordsofdemocracybetterillustratedthaninsports.
OrganizedsportsareseenbyAmericansasaninspiringexampleofequalityofopportunityinaction.Insports,peopleofdifferentracesandeconomicbackgroundsgetanequalchancetoexcel.Forthisreason,notessociologistHarryEdwards,Americansvieworganizedsportsas"alaboratoryinwhichyoungmen,regardlessofsocialclass,canlearntheadvantagesandrewardsofacompetitivesystem."AlthoughEdwardsspecificallymentionsyoungmen,youngwomenalsocompeteinorganizedsportswithoutregardto'theirraceoreconomicbackground.Women'ssportsaregrowinginpopularityintheUnitedStates,andtheynowhavemorefundingandsupportatthecollegelevelthaninthepast.The1996Olympicsprovidedevidenceoftheincreasedinterestinwomen'sorganizedsports.Americanwomenwongoldmedalsforseveralteamsports—softball,basketball,soccer,andgymnastics.
TheideaofcompetitionisattheveryheartoforganizedsportsintheUnitedStates.ManyAmericansbelievethatlearninghowtowininsportshelpsdevelopthehabitsnecessarytocompetesuccessfullyinlaterlife.Thistraining,inturn,strengthensAmericansocietyasawhole."Itiscommonlyheld,"saysonesportswriter,"thatthecompetitiveethictaughtinsportsmustbelearnedandingrainedinyouthforthefuturesuccessofAmericanbusinessandmilitaryefforts."
Thecompetitiveethicinorganizedsportscontainssomeelementsofhardwork—oftencalled"hustle,""persistence,"or"neverquitting"—andofphysicalcourage—being"tough"orhaving"guts."Slogansaresometimesusedtodrivehomethecompetitivevirtuesfortheyoungparticipants:
"Hustle—youcan'tsurvivewithoutit.""Aquitterneverwins;awinnerneverquits.""It'seasytobeordinary,butittakesgutstoexcel."
Amateurathletics,associatedwithschoolsandcolleges,arevaluedforteachingyoungpeopletraditionalAmericanvalues.Professionalsports,inadditiontotheirprofitandentertainmentpurposes,areseenasprovidinganexampletoinspiretheyoungtotakepartinorganizedsports.IntheprocessofservingasaninspirationfortraditionalbasicAmericanvalues,organizedsportshavebecomepartofwhatwasreferredtoinChapter3as"thenationalreligion,"amixtureofpatriotismandnationalprideontheonehandwithreligiousideasandsymbolsontheother.BillyGraham,afamousAmericanProtestantreligiousleader,onceobserved:
"TheBiblesays-leisureandlyingaroundaremorallydangerous...sportskeepusbusy....ThereareprobablymorereallycommittedChristiansinsports,bothcollegiateandprofessional,thaninanyotheroccupationinAmerica."
CompetitionCarriedtoanExtreme?
AlthoughsportsintheUnitedStatesareglorifiedbymany,thereareotherswhoareespeciallycriticalofthepowerofsportstocorruptwhencertainthingsarecarriedtoexcess.Anexcessivedesiretowininsports,forexample,canweakenratherthanstrengthentraditionalAmericanvalues.
Criticshavepointedoutthatthereisalongtraditionofcoachesandplayerswhohavedonejustthis.VinceLombardi,afamousprofessionalfootballcoachofthe1960s,wasoftencriticizedforstatingthatwinningisthe"onlything"thatmattersinsports.WoodyHayes,anotherfamousfootballcoach,oncesaid:
"Anyonewhotellsme,'Don'tworrythatyoulost;youplayedagoodgameanyway,'Ijusthate."Criticsbelievethatsuchstatementsbycoachesweakentheideathatotherthings,suchasfairplay,followingtherulesofthegame,andbehavingwithdignitywhenoneisdefeated,arealsoimportant.Unfortunately,manycoachesstillsharethe"winningistheonlything"philosophy.
Thereis,however,alsoatraditionofhonorabledefeatinAmericansports.SociologistHarryEdwards,forexample,haspointedoutthat"Theall-importantsignificanceofwinningisknown,butlikewise,thereistheconsoling'reward'ofthe'honorabledefeat.'Indeed,the'sweetness'ofwinningisderived...fromtheknowledgeofhavingdefeatedacourageousopponentwhoperformedhonorably."
Whentheideaofwinninginsportsiscarriedtoexcess,however,honorablecompetitioncanturnintodisorderandviolence.Inonegame,theplayersoftwoprofessionalbaseballteamsbecamesoangryateachotherthatthegameturnedintoalarge-scalefightbetweenthetwoteams.Thecoachofoneoftheteamswashappyaboutthefightbecause,inthegamesthatfollowed,histeamconsistentlywon.Hethoughtthatthefighthadhelpedtobringthemenonhisteamclosertogether.Similarly,aprofessionalfootballcoachstated:
"Ifwedidn'tgooutthereandfight,I'dbeworried.Yougooutthereandprotectyourteammates.Theguyswhositonthebench,they'rethelosers."Bothcoachesseemedtosharetheviewthatifoccasionalfightswithopposingteamshelpedtoincreasethewinningspiritoftheirplayers,somuchthebetter.Hockeycoacheswouldprobablyagree.Professionalhockeyteamsarenotoriousforthefightsamongplayersduringgames.Somehockeyfansseemtoexpectthisfightingaspartoftheentertainment.
TherearesomewhocriticizethisviolenceinAmericansports,particularlyfootball,perhapsAmerica'sfavoritesport.Fromtimetotime,articlesappearinnewspapersormagazinessuchasSportsIllustrated,oneofthenation’sleadingsportsmagazines,criticizingthenumberofinjuriesthathaveresultedfromtheextremeroughnessofthegame,increasedbyaburningdesiretodefeatone'sopponent.Somepeopleareparticularlyconcernedabouttheinjuriesthathighschoolplayersgetinfootballgames.Thepressureto"hithard"andwinhighschoolgamesisintense.Insomepartsofthecountry,especiallyintheSouth,boysstartplayingtacklefootballinelementaryschool,bringingtherisksofcompetitivepressureto9-and10-year-olds.
MostAmericanswouldprobablysaythatcompetitioninorganizedsportsdoesmoretostrengthenthenationalcharacterthantocorruptit.Theybelievethateliminatingcompetitioninsportsandinsocietyasawholewouldleadtolazinessandviceratherthanhardworkandaccomplishment.Onehighschoolprincipal,forexample,describedthecriticismofcompetitivesportsas"therevolutionaries'attempttobreakdownthebasicfoundationsuponwhichsocietyisfounded."CommentsofthissortillustratehowstrongtheideaofcompetitionisintheUnitedStatesandhowimportantorganizedsportsareasameansofmaintainingthisvalueinthelargersociety.
Anothercriticismofprofessionalsportsisthattheplayersandtheteamownersgettoomuchmoney,whilefanshavetopaymoreandmoreforticketstothegames.Basketball,baseball,andfootballstarsgetmulti-million-dollarcontractssimilartorocksingersandmoviestars.Somehaveaskedwhethertheseplayersareathletesorentertainers.In1994,whenthebaseballplayerswentonstrikeduringtheseason,historywasmade:
forthefirsttimein90years,therewasnoWorldSeries.Theplayerswantedno"cap,"orlimit,onthesalariestheycouldearn;theownersrefusedtoagree,buttheyalsorefusedtorevealhowmuchprofittheymake.Thefanswerethelosers,andmostpeopleweredisgustedbyboththeplayersandtheowners.Sportscasterstalkedabouthowgreedwasspoilingthesportthatis"asAmericanasapplepie."
Recreation:
ATimeforSelf-Improvement
Unlikeorganizedsports,whatisgenerallycalledrecreationintheUnitedStatesisnotexpectedtoencouragecompetition.Forthisreason,itismuchmorespontaneousandservestheindividual'sneedsbeyondthecompetitiveworldofwork.Nevertheless,muchcanbelearnedaboutthevaluesofAmericansfromanexaminationofthekindsofrecreationinwhichtheyengage.
ManyAmericanspreferrecreationthatrequiresahighlevelofphysicalactivity.Thisistrueofthethreefastestgrowingadultrecreationalsports:
joggingorrunning,tennis,andsnowskiing.ItwouldseemthatAmericanscarryovertheirbeliefinhardworkintotheirworldofplayandrecreation.Thewell-knownexpression"weliketoworkhardandplayhard"isanexampleofthisphilosophy.
Whatbeganinthe1970sasthe"physicalfitnesscraze"hasbecomeawayoflifeformany.Anumberofpeopleregularlyworkoutatsportsclubs—liftingweights,swimming,playingsquashorracquetball,participatinginaerobicexerciseclasses,orusingexercisebikes,treadmills,rowingmachines,orstair-steppers.Long-distancemarathonracesaresopopularthattheorganizersoftenhavetolimitthenumberofpeoplewhocanparticipate.InadditiontothefamousBostonandNewYorkmarathons,thereareracesinmanyothercitiesandeveninsmalltowns,drawingfromseveralhundred
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