Social Reasons For Participation

1
Social Reasons For Participation

• INCREASED LEISURE TIME - people nowadays have
  much more leisure time than in the past.
• Some people like to spend this time visiting
  health and fitness clubs whilst others prefer a
  walk in the countryside.
• Another reason is that people are much more
  mobile now so a visit to the seaside for example
  is easy to access.
• There are several reasons for this increase in
  leisure time

2

• THE SHORTER WORKING WEEK - in the UK today
  workers work 37 hours per week or less, during
  the 1960s it was common to work between 40 and
  44 hours.
• TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES - technology has reduced
  the hours it used to take to do many jobs. There
  are also other benefits for example advances in
  medicine has meant people are living longer and
  therefore able to take part in leisure and
  sporting activities beyond retirement age.
• EARLY RETIREMENT - more people now take an early
  retirement than ever before
• UNEMPLOYMENT - unemployment gives people time to
  take part in sport and leisure activities.
  However money can be an issue.

3
Walking in the countryside is a popular leisure
activity
4

• WHY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE
• There are three general categories that can help
  us to understand why sport and recreation might
  be important to many people
• HEALTH - people are becoming more concerned with
  their health and well being
• LEISURE - many people like to participate in
  physical activity simply because they enjoy it.
  It also provides a great opportunity to socialise
  and make new friends
• VOCATION - there are thousands of people who take
  part in sport and physical activities simply
  because its their job .

5
Social Background

• POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INFLUENCES ON PARTICIPATION
  - everyone is subject to factors which may
  influence their participation in a sport or
  activity.
• ACCESS
• depends on how near you live to a sports
  facility.
• AGE
• some sports or activities are more appropriate to
  certain age group
• people may participate less as they get older

6

• DISABILITY
• this may limit the number and types of sport
  available and who can actually participate.
• Many sports are doing more to provide for
  disabled athletes
• Athletes with disability - not disabled athletes
• disability sport - not disabled sport!

7

• EDUCATION
• A positive school experience may lead to
  continued participation in later life.
• Compulsory PE in state schools up to the age of
  16
• FAMILY
• provide early introduction to activities
• role models (parents and siblings)
• encouragement and support

8

• ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE
• top winter sports people tend to come from the
  cold, mountainous regions/environments

9

• GENDER
• male participation is higher than female
• more sports and activities are available to males
• almost all professional sport award less prize
  money for women's events than men's
• THE MEDIA
• can raise the awareness of sports, activities and
  healthy lifestyles
• promote role models
• increase the popularity of minority sports

10

• PEER GROUP
• friends of similar age or background can be
  either active or non-active in sport. This could
  influence or place pressure on peers.
• POLITICS
• government involvement on how much is spent on
  providing facilities for public use
• the elite may receive special help to promote
  excellence and national pride.
• In 1960 the western world began to see the
  emergence of athletes from eastern European
  countries that were almost unbeatable. This
  success was a result of state policy.

11

• POVERTY
• unemployment limits participation due to lack of
  money
• some sports are too expensive
• local communities or countries may be too poor to
  provide facilities
• SPONSORSHIP
• sponsorship is a very big business in sport
• a definition of sponsorship in sport might be
  that it is the funding of sporting activity for
  commercial gain
• ( Institute of
  Sport Sponsorship, funded in 1985)

12
England captain David Beckham earns millions just
from all his sponsorship deals
13

• RACE, TRADITION AND CULTURE
• in some countries National Sports are more
  popular.
• Sport is important with professional performers
  having a high profile
• womens sport is still disapproved of
• occasions in past when countries have been
  excluded from participation in international
  sporting events because of their discrimination
  against ethnic groups
• between 1964 and 1992 South Africa were banned
  from the Olympic Games as the culture of the
  white people who ruled the country would not
  accept that white and black people are equal
• under the policy of Apartheid black and white
  people were not allowed to mix.