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Extreme_Sports

Contents 1 Learning Portfolio 1.1 Self Assessment 1 1.1.1 Reflective Summary 1 1.1.2 References 1.1.3 New Racism 1.1.4 Notes 1.1.4.1 Personal Revisions on Extreme Sport 1.1.4.2 Item 2

Learning Portfolio

Self Assessment 1

• Kelli Russell (2005). Racial Inequality defined. Retrieved October 27, 2005.

In defining the term "racial inequality", this explanation demonstrates an emerging understanding of the impact of race on society, identifying that it does play a part in the social inequality seen today, but does not investigate deeper into reasons for this.

• Kelli Russell (2004). College Students' Theories About Race and Sport. Retrieved October 31, 2005.

This annotation is disengaged when exploring the methodology of the data presented by the authors. It simply accepts the researcher's findings without taking into consideration the context in which the authors are writing and how they personally relate to the subject. It fails to question the research findings or analyze the data.

• Kelli Russell (2005). Nike's Advertising Creates Paradigm. Retrieved October 19, 2005.

There is an attempt to identify the social norms and the problems that are associated with racial social norms in this annotation. Where there should be a discussion of these ideologies there are only facts about the author's writings. More discussion should exist in this annotation.

Reflective Summary 1

During the writing process, there was confusion in my mind about the proper way to go about discussing an author's article. Annotated bibliographies, in my education, serve the purpose of informing another researcher as to their validity and relevence regarding a subject. At the same time, WSU's Comparitive Ethnic Studies department has a goal to engage the student in discussion of the topics that are written about in scholarly journals. These annotations could be improved with more discussion. Questions, personal comments, and alternative ideas would greatly improve these writings. Instead of simply reporting an author's ideas, the annotations could go one step further to introduce more discussion from a student's point of view.

Through reading the articles and annotations present in this course, my understanding that race continues to play a significant role in American society has been even more solidified. From personal convictions expressed in random talk to social ideologies influencing employment, the economy, and many human beings' destinies, race continues to be a visible, but ignored, taboo in American conversation. Understanding my own ignorance to the topic of race has been a process. Before, a thought never entered into my mid about its impact on others, but then there was conviction of my own bias and eventually an understanding of the undeniable influence race has in all institutions, cultures, and individuals. This course work helped me to understand how institutions are almost reliant upon racial stereotypes to continue to manipulate people for many purposes, and the silence of members of those institutions regarding these inconsistencies.

There are so many questions that remain after this course. I continue to struggle to understand America's bipolar obsession with the black athete and disdain for the blue collar African American. One might conclude that it goes back to the ideology of the slave era: profit and significance. If a black individual can become a source of revenue for a company, then society begins to see their value. If a black athlete can demonstrate a skill that goes above and beyond a normal person, they have successfully proved themselves. Compare this with the average white person. It's never a question of what the white American is doing with themselves, but success is assumed. What is the conclusion about natural talent? Is it that black children are pushed into those positions, or is it that they are encouraged so much to perform in athletics that they have a healthy optimism for their talent? How can the state of American society today be blamed on African American men, usually labeled as "thugs", when for over 200 years this society has been established and perpetuated by European American groups? Because of 20 years of heightened success by African Americans in many areas of society, there are critics quick to point out that any negativity from it is the "problem with America". One can look at the school shootings of the late 90s, influence of Rock N Roll in the 20th century, and many other examples of blemishes on America's history to see that they are, in fact, dominated by white individuals. Just a fact. I have begun to understand that the black athlete is sometimes more unwilling than one thinks to participate in the exploitation of his or her talent. I've learned that it is more times than we care to admit an exploitation. It's not always the "opportunity" that we're made to believe sport as being, for fame, wealth, and a future. As it's been commented on before, why can't a young black person be given the opportunity to excel in school? Just as much time is invested into athletics as school work requires. It requires getting past the stereotypes that are so deeply engrained into our thinking that it becomes an insult just to question them. Krussell07 00:53, 1 Nov 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

/Mock blog post

/Revision of Mock Wiki

References

• Berliner, Michael (1999). Diversity and Multiculturalism: The New Racism. Retrieved November 8, 2005.

The premise for the article “Diversity and Multiculturalism: The New Racism” is that the current agenda of universities regarding ethnic diversity among students is another example of racism. Michael Berliner describes those who promote the idea of diversity as those who view a person based on their racial and cultural position. Multiculturalists predict a person’s intellect and behavior according to the group they belong to, determined usually by race, and therefore perpetuate the old school mentality of racism disguised as politically correctness. He explains that multiculturalists are determined to teach students to be colorblind, while identifying their abilities and innate characteristics as a result of the color of their skin or their cultural background. Berliner states, “The spread of racism requires the destruction of an individual's confidence in his own mind.” Krussell07 00:06, 18 Nov 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

• Farrell, Charles S. (1997). "Things That Should Make the Sports World Go "Hmmmm?"". Black Issues In Higher Education 14:54.Krussell07 01:46, 7 Dec 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

• Henry, Frances; Tator,Carol (1994). "The Idealogy of Racism:Democratic Racism". Canadian Ethnic Studies 26:1.

The juxtaposition of justice, equality, and systematic racism is the focus of Frances Henry and Carol Tator’s critique of Canadian race ideologies. Democratic liberalism, as explained by the writers, is the existence of both egalitarian values and prejudice toward people of people of color. While perpetuating racist ideologies, this contradiction also rejects political and social dilemmas that are faced by minorities affected by social inequality, therefore prohibiting legal change from occurring. Through symbolic speech and actions, citizens attempt to deny that racism exists in the 21st century, which feeds into the lack of change on a political scale. Henry and Tator also compare the democratic racism that exists in the United States and the United Kingdom to that which occurs in Canada. Krussell07 00:06, 18 Nov 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

• Washington, Robert E.; Karen, David (2001). "Sport and Society". Annual Review of Sociology 27:187-212.

The argument in “Sport and Society” is that sport is involved in several subcategories of society: race, gender, and media. Robert E. Washington and David Karen discuss the role social position plays in an individual’s choice of sport participation. Economics, time, and location are all factors that contribute to an individual’s decision. Highlighted is the myth that sports are as large of a channel for social mobility as society believes it is for minorities. The authors point out that the success of a small percentage of minorities in sports has distorted society’s perception of this. Also suggested is that stars like Michael Jordan are examples of positive role models for minorities, while contained in the same media sources are unmarried black male basketball players. This contrast demonstrates the power of media to set the status quo for sports and society. Increased commercialization also determines the power of this media to set the standard and the norm. Washington and Karen suggest the power of sport to enforce standards of masculinity and femininity. Pay discrepancies between white and black owners and athletes is also addressed in this article. The commonality between these is social construction and the role sport, once a recreational activity and now a major function of society, plays to confirm them. Krussell07 00:17, 7 Dec 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

• Wenner, Lawrence A. (1994). "What's Sport Got To Do With It? Race and the Problem of Paradigm". Journal of Sport and Social Issues 18:203-206.

This article questions Nike’s depiction of the destiny of blacks, and the institutionalized ideology that the only choice for a successful future in the life of an African American is sport. In an early 90’s advertisement, prominent athletes Michael Jordan and Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s catchphrase was “Without sport, who would I be?”, and as images of the streets flashed on the screen, the athletes questioned “Where would I be?” Lawrence A. Wenner argues that the ad implies the only way to be a success as an African American is through sport, and if this doesn’t work out then the reality is a hard life on the street. Wenner doesn’t blame Nike’s advertising, or the athletes, for what he describes as a racial misunderstanding, admitting that this stereotype is much deeper than these figures. He claims there is a paradigm of sport that says the only rational way for an African American to get out of poverty, hardship, and oppression is through athletics. Krussell07 22:38, 28 Sep 2005 (Pacific Daylight Time)

New Racism

New racism, especially in the United States’ post-civil rights society, does not appear as typical vulgar bigotry. As legislation has outlawed discrimination at the executive level, racist conversation has also become less acceptable and has taken on new forms that disguise or deny prejudiced intentions. Racist ideologies perpetuate through systems containing practices that control the status quo, such as the athletic arena. New racism is vague, yet ubiquitous. It is invisible, yet enveloping. New racism is not only contained within the individual, but the system as well through several examples.

New racism is symbolic. Symbolic racism is action that is taken in a context that has little or nothing to do with race, such as a political election or recruiting in college athletics. Symbolic racism does not have to be as obvious as an insulting comment, yet it can have impact on multiple amounts of people. In the context of the university setting, “‘Ethnic diversity’ is merely racism in a politically correct disguise”, according to Michael Berliner, opposing the attention given to diversifying college campuses. He continues to explain that the act of praising a person based on their race and the abilities believed to go with them is racism as well (Berliner 1999). In the drive to diversify sports, people are being used as symbols for progress in American race relations. This is applied to diversity among members of teams, to coaches, and owners. There are several ways in which society seems to benefit from this program of diversification among ownership of professional teams. “…Sports-franchise ownership by Blacks would symbolize the narrowing of race inequity in the sports world and race issues in America in general. It would negate, to some degree, the last business in which owners bought, sold and traded people” (Farrell 1997). Minority owners are used to support the status quo’s belief that racism and discrimination are disappearing, and possibly even make appropriations for past sins.

In the context of the 21st century, racism is systematic. Media, a major player in the system, demonstrates the ideologies and practices of new racism. Media’s role in supporting the status quo is contingent upon imagery to portray minority groups. Media have the power to send images to the world containing both positive and negative perspectives. Media and sports go hand-in-hand, and sports are an area in which new racism is piercing. The simple limitations regarding the life goals of African Americans are involved in new racism. Stereotypes created and adopted by society that limit the potential of black Americans is related to the perception created by sports. “…The astronomical social mobility of many black athletes, who represent, obviously, only a small percentage of the population, distort public perceptions of the opportunity structure for blacks, causing many whites to assume that blacks no longer face discrimination” (Washington and Karen 2001). In addition to the perception that discrimination has been eliminated, expectations and realities are formed in the minds of individuals in society that originate from the images on many sports broadcasts. One example of this can be found in a Nike advertisement from the early 1990’s. While images of the streets flash across the screen, Michael Jordan and Jackie Joyner-Kersee question where they would have ended up had it not been for sports. One could argue that both athletes could have gone onto careers in medicine or business, and their only options did not have to only be the dangerous streets or the playing field (Wenner 1994).. But the small fraction of blacks who are part of organizations like sports convinces individuals otherwise, prompting the belief that African Americans are contained to basketball courts and football fields. New racism is not as easy to pinpoint as pre-Civil Rights Movement racism. “One of the most complex aspects of racism is its illusive and changing nature” (Henry and Tater 1994). Racism in the 21st century is still very much a reality as many white-supremacist organizations, websites, and marches demonstrate. In socially acceptable organizations, like athletics, new racism works to support the dominant group working for supremacy and control, similar to the days in which laws were created to control minorities and enforce the status quo of the day. Krussell07 01:47, 7 Dec 2005 (Pacific Standard Time)

Notes

Personal Revisions on Extreme Sport

One could also argue that image could play some type of role in a person's involvement in extreme sport. Not only is sport an activity, but it's also a culture. From basketball to rock climbing, the image of the sport is marketed to athletes. Whether one decides to wear Nike basketball shorts or a Northface coat, there is an image that goes with the sport. Demographics can influence an athlete's choice of sport image. Age, gender, and race are strong influencers in a person's style and choice of activity. Taking into consideration economic and geographic factors, one should also analyze social pressures to fit a certain image. Krussell07 10:03, 26 Oct 2005 (Pacific Daylight Time) The simple lack of scholarly writings that include ethnic and minority groups in extreme sports is a reflection of the scarcity of minority athletes in these sports. From skateboarding, to mountain climbing, to bull riding, there are few to no minorities competing. "Yet there is very little literature that has occupied itself with these increasingly popular sports. A few authors, mainly from the field of sport marketing have tackled the subject (Puchan, 171)." Generally, there is little writing as these sports continue to develop. There is also little to no sponsorship for minority athletes, which is clear when one turns on the television or reads literature regarding extreme sports. This could directly relate to opportunity given to minorities to learn to perform in these arenas. Talent and skill gets an extreme athlete a sponsor, and without years of work to produce these skills, the chances of being paid to perform are slim. [Puchan, Heike. Living 'extreme': Adventure sports, media, and commercialisation. Journal of Communication Management. London, 2004. Vol. 9, Issue 2. 171Krussell07 23:36, 24 Oct 2005 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Item 2