Racism if traced back to the 19th century has been predominant; we may refer to the apartheid era in South African where many of blacks were maltreated by the whites because the whites seem to view them as inferior. Does racial discrimination also exists in sports? Yes. Racial discrimination has also impacted negatively on the ethics of sports and the code of conduct of athlete. Is of no surprise that racial discrimination has mainly welcomed itself into sports, has this has been an issue which have perplexed many of sports analysts the 21st century. But, what are likely the effects of racial discrimination on sports? Firstly, an atmosphere where sport activities are performed is very hostile. An instance …show more content…
It is of no surprise that many athletes who are discriminated against have been provoked to use ‘explicit languages which may spark an annoyance from the spectators in a sporting game. Tickets to sports game will decrease because of this and this will likely lead to the low performance of athletes. An instance where spectators jeers athletes and refer to those who are black coloured as “Nigger”, that is a black man will feel dispirited by this. The number of athletes will surely reduce as a result of this. Thirdly, black coloured or brown coloured will be unfairly judged when an accolade of awards is to be given. Situations like this will make the code of conduct of sports less likely provable. If this kind of situation is not well sorted, sportive activities will in return be a disaster, since there is racial discrimination between athletes who are of different race. An example point to the recent incident between Patrice Evra’ a professional footballer and another professional footballer ‘Luiz Suarez. The two referred to themselves in vulgar languages, which in return was displeasing to the spectators and their coaches (Hartley, 2012). In addition, the purpose of sport as a means to unite nations is affected. Sports, though diverse, its main purpose is to unite different races together, where those races are able to tolerate one another regardless of their colour is now in
If states are the laboratories of democracy, then sports are the arena in which it is tested. This book serves as a review of racial integration and the changing dynamics in sports from 1890 - 1980. Charles Martin aims for the reader to understand why it was common place for white southerners to compete against “non-black” ethnic minorities (E.G. Native Americans, Chinese), but an issue when even a single African American was on an opposing team. Benching Jim Crow explains to the reader that the persistence of segregation lay with overarching cultural mentalities left over from the Civil War, but shifts in position came from external (financial), and internal (students and players). Though offering little insight into the legal and political impacts of Jim Crow itself, Martin paints a detailed, but redundant, narrative of the rise and fall of Jim Crow in athletics.
One interesting view by Douglas Hartmann in his journal article entitled “Rethinking The Relationships Between Sports And Race In American Culture: Golden Ghettos And Contested Terrain” said that racial issues in sport is; borrowing Stuart Hall (1981) words- “a contested racial terrain” (qtd. in Hartmann 241). The “contested racial terrain” is defined as “a social site where racial images, ideologies, and inequalities are constructed, transformed, and constantly struggled over” (Hartmann 230). In other words, sports have become a medium where the definition and limitation of racism created. This also means that the definition of racial issues will constantly change over time. Hartmann view is interesting seeing that he believes that the context of racism in sports are actually broader than we actually think. He did not agree with the simple view of because racial discrimination happens in our society, thus racial discrimination also happens in sports (Hartmann 242). He further delves into two interesting problems in stereotyping and biasing.
In our world today, it is unlikely that we will not face some sort of discrimination in some way. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary website, discrimination is defined as “the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people”. Someone’s discrimination can stem from past experience, the way they were brought up, or their own prejudices. In the movies The Jackie Robinson Story and A League of Their Own, racism and misogyny run rampant. These two groups both faced extreme discrimination in their journeys to fulfill their dreams of playing baseball. Whether it is Jackie Robinson being tormented for the color of his skin or the women being tortured for their sex, these two groups both found strength in themselves to fight off the negativity.
In the start of the 1960s basketball had entered the world of professionalism since there was a decrease in amateurism in sports. More teams have come to a conclusion and have become a part of a professional league called the NBA (National Basketball Association). In regards to a book American Decades 1960s “In the 1960-1961 season of the NBA there were eight teams in the league, which included the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals, New York Knicks, St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and the Cincinnati Royals”. All these teams had at least two or more African American athletes. As African American athletes become more famous, players such as Bill Russel from the Boston Celtics or Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors have people who will become jealous and try to make them look bad. “Unfortunately more and more African Americans have become extremely valuable in professional sports leading to people/ fans to get used to different skin colors. Thus leading to less racism in sports” (Encyclopedia of Race and Racism). Racism was a huge benefactor during that time and became less public due to the fact that there will be African American players in professional sports no matter what.
I like hard data and numbers. While I certainly enjoy theories and the beauty of being able to have different opinions, I also tend to lean towards the side of what seems to make the most sense. This topic we just discussed is not over with. Nothing is proven. Solid answers are not given and much more research still needs to be conducted. In my opinion, though, I don’t see how anyone could argue with the facts given and proven thus far. As Gideon Ariel, biochemist and former Israeli Olympic athlete said “I know that the American system is very sensitive to statements of black and white. But you cannot defy science. You cannot just say that day is night and night is day. These are facts. And I think it's to the advantage of the black athletes to be proud that God was on their side” (Entine, 2000). I don’t think that there is anything ethically wrong with believing this way. The color of one’s skin does not come into play here. I cannot help but to recognize the biological differences between black and white athletes. The problem is, too many people view these differences as a bad thing. There is beauty in being different. There is beauty in being innately gifted. God has given these people gifts. The gift of athleticism is not something to be ashamed of. Just because one is given these gifts, doesn’t make them lazy. Just because a person believes that one is born with the biological makeup to be athletic, that doesn’t mean that the
The treatment of minority athletes, particularly African Americans has been a grave issue in American sports for decades. More than fifty years ago, to be a colored person playing a so- called “white sport,” meant that it was an unfortunate fact that inequality, prejudices and racial discrimination came along with that territory, and it is also an unfortunate fact that some of those racial tensions are yet in full, modernized effect today. African- American starting five, or starting lineman, being told what to do, when, and how to do it by their Caucasian coaches, and general managers, are in sync with past century notions of African- American slaves being under total dominion and authority of
A: The concept of race and social access have influenced who participate in a sport because according to the narrator of the film, “The Difference Between Us: Race- The Power of an illusion” even though “Racial differences are not necessarily discussed openly, they are often part of the careful calculation of competitive edge” of specific individuals. Therefore, the idea of race as biology is extremely constant on
Race and ethnicity in sports is a very delicate subject. You run a great risk of offending someone when discussing the subject to begin with. Is one race dominant in a certain sport? I think we need to address this with respect and delicacy. But when we look at the need to be so delicate, that should be an indication that race and ethnicity matter with regards to sports.
Society calls for athletes to give flawless performances in the stadiums and arenas. The fans have grown accustomed to high flying, hard hitting shows of athleticism and finesse, and oftentimes an athletes success gains them a elevated status in society with special privileges that you and I can only dream of. As there careers get bigger and bigger they fell that they should be shown a certain respect by fans when not on the field, and many athletes become angered when
Racism in sports played a major role in this ranking, therefore racism is still exists today in society as well
The next example of racism in minor hockey involves parent’s involvement in the problem. “Parents yelled racial slurs and insults, including "Go home, Mohammed," at a referee on the ice” (CBC, 2015). This is a particularly disturbing incident which speaks volumes to the root of the problem. It is explained that parents have a very passionate belief and concern attached to preserving the segregation of the sport. Even the diversity of referees is a sensitive area to the existing culture. Furthermore, this incident speaks volumes to the acceptance and magnitude of racist behaviour demonstrated even by parents. In other words, parents are so outraged by the inclusion of visible minorities in the game that they cannot contain their racist thoughts to
This study deals with high school athletics and their long-term effect in the lives of those who participate; it also deals with the positive and negative aspects of athletics during high school, and the treatment of those who participate. This study was conducted with qualitative data obtained from five personal interviews with previous high school athletes. These five people come from a range of places, ages, and experience. Conclusions are that participation in high school athletics is a contributor to a better social life and experience during high school. Good friends and influences are obtained through the pursuit of high school athletics. The long-term effects
It is important for all those involved in sport to support and promote the principles of equity, whether they are playing, refereeing or coaching. I think that it is so important that when incidents of negative discrimination occur they are dealt with promptly. If equality is not tolerated it will cause a better learning and teaching atmosphere. Racism can be best described as negative discrimination against an individual because of their colour, racial
Sport plays a huge role in today’s society. It contributes to one’s health and fitness, social interaction, social and motor skills, patriotism, fun and entertainment. It also stimulates the economy and tourism leading to interaction between different cultures, for example the Olympics, and sport role models. Sports clearly are an important part of cultures and societies around the world as such events as the Olympics
“Sports are for fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons that carry over into all aspects of life”. This well-known anonymous quotation conveys the message that sport is the game which has some rules and custom. It is not only for fun and entertainment, but there are also some benefits of playing sports and which gives some important lessons for life. Every kind of physical sports is healthy because it involves running, jumping, stretching, mind skills and much more. There are so many sports available in the world nowadays, but we can categorize them by the numbers of players, the three main categories are individual sport, dual sport and team sport.