Social Problems and Sports
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Social Problems in Contemporary American Sports: A Discussion
Over the past, American sporting activities have been held in high regard as the means through which diverse sociopolitical concerns are fought. In the article “How Social Issues Are Shaping Sports Coverage,” several main issues that have attracted much attention in the sphere of sports since 2020 are outlined. The principles set in the sociology of sport help explain such questions to the maximum.
Thus, one of the most discussed issues about current American sports is the problems related to race and ethnic discrimination. Such provocation as the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 named the surge of athlete activism. This activism can also be seen under the concept of a reflection of society”, which means that the issues reflected in the reflected world are the same in the broader society. For instance, when the Milwaukee Bucks recently, declined to take the field in protest against the shooting of Jacob Blake, athletes have endeavoured to go further and come out of the sporting field as advocates of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Sexual and gender minorities are another important social issue related to sports and physical activities. The article points to the rising visibility of LGBTQ+ athletes in the sports industry, where Carl Nassib came out as the first gay active NFL player. This development can be discussed in terms of the perspective of “sport as a platform for social inclusion” when athletic achievements and successes help to improve society’s attitude towards members of certain groups.
The mental health of athletes has also become an area of concern, as demonstrated by Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the 2021 French Open. Thus, one can speak about “athlete commodification,” in which the expectations placed on athletes for entertainment and media can have severe personal repercussions. Osaka raised some pertinent issues regarding athletes’ welfare and the role of sporting associations.
Finally, the case of equal pay in sports, mainly focusing on women’s soccer, brings out the various gender disparities in the sporting fraternity. This problem belongs to the sociological approach called ‘structural functionalism’ in sports in general, as it maintains current social role distribution and stereotypes by offering unequal treatment and chances. Such social issues in today’s American sports enlighten general societal occurrences and prove that sports remain relevant in social transformation processes. While athletes increasingly become active agents of change, standing up for justice and equality issues, sports remain a forum where critical social problems can be addressed and solved.