In the middle of the nineteenth century the word ‘sport’ was recognised as field events such as hunting, shooting, or fishing with the upper-class/military purposes.”But from the 1950’s onwards walking clubs were set up by a variety of organisations”-Manchester YMCA.The organisation of sport has changed in a huge way. Our world has always been affected by patterns of social inequality in the past. Gender, Class, and Race are the highlights of the key changes that have developed through out our history. And did you have black women/men enjoying a game of football with a white upper-class?; unfortunately this was how society was portrayed
Once upon a time gender wasn’t a subject, sport was for white men, it was a ‘male’ thing and women were in the kitchen and expected to respect their feminine image. But women’s rights came about and from that day opportunities for women have developed. Women play sport and they are winning medals all over the world and are recognised for their talent just as much as men, but still are limited of there equality to males playing sport e.g. a male who win Wimbledon is rewarded more than a female who win’s in the same event. What about football?! this is a phenomenal example of how men are recognised a lot more for sport than women, even though more opportunities for women have developed women are still discriminated. Cardiff City men’s team got paid half a million for winning a cup and the women got paid 75 pound. Male spectators were always more numerous than women, and in sports such as boxing, few women would be present.
Modern sport began increasing in the late 19th century. Most activities were importations from Europe and the United States. They were concentrated in sport/social clubs for young white men of relatively high social class. It was for traditional sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, cycling, tennis, golf, track and field. The professional athletes were men and from a high class. But women’s sports were introduced and were becoming more popular. “1919 Women accepted into the Apline club for the first time and 1900 Field Hockey for the Scottish Women’s Hockey Association was founded.” http://www2.umist.ac.uk/sport/index2.html
In the twentieth century opportunities arises for females e.g. there was women’s tennis and basketball. Female participants were usually upper class. “The first international Olympic-type sport festivals in the region involved only men, most representing exclusive social clubs.” reference- http://aahperd.confex.com/aahperd/2004/preliminaryprogram/abstract_4807.htm Amateur and professional all competed at the same level but today sport for women is targeted for all such as disabled, ethnic, low class. Sport is also categorised in competitions you have different levels of performance ranging from beginners to elite. Male spectators were always more numerous than women, and in sports such as boxing, few women would be present.
Mexico City in 1926 was Tarahumara Indians. There were black baseball clubs, and if there were spectators they would be upper class or elite but more generally, a wide range of social classes and both sexes could be found in the stadiums. Culture today is not an issue e.g. Venus Williams won Wimbledon. “Although now only a historical since the communist system disintegrated in the early 1990’s, this culture, dominated by the Soviet Union, is worth study because of the phenomenal sporting success Eastern Bloc countries achieved in a short space of time.” The role models today are form ethnic minorities and have proved to be successful and culture is not as discriminated against and more doors are opening for this area.